First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in California make a median of $46,980 a year, or about $22.59 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $44,262 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 76.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in California?
About first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
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What this looks like in California
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 76.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $56K | +18% | 6,390 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $52K | +11% | 1,470 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $52K | +10% | 14,790 |
| Napa | $51K | +9% | 700 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $48K | +3% | 1,230 |
| Salinas | $48K | +3% | 1,450 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $48K | +3% | 960 |
| Vallejo | $48K | +3% | 1,340 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $47K | +1% | 1,810 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | +0% | 12,920 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $47K | -0% | 41,640 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $47K | -0% | 7,390 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $46K | -2% | 490 |
| Modesto | $46K | -2% | 1,670 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $46K | -2% | 2,050 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $46K | -2% | 3,070 |
| Yuba City | $46K | -2% | 400 |
| Chico | $46K | -2% | 700 |
| El Centro | $46K | -3% | 460 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $46K | -3% | 2,740 |
| Merced | $45K | -3% | 660 |
| Visalia | $45K | -3% | 1,440 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $45K | -4% | 17,380 |
| Redding | $45K | -4% | 520 |
| Fresno | $45K | -5% | 3,610 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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Track first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 76.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,318/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 107% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
California pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make in California?
The median is $46,980 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,630, and experienced first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers can clear $75,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,223/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 76.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary is worth about $44,262 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.