First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA make a median of $48,220 a year, or about $23.18 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $43,876 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 126.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Santa Cruz-Watsonville
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers pay in Santa Cruz-Watsonville tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 127.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $47K | $41K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $45K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $52K | $45K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59K | +35% | 20,700 |
| District of Columbia | $57K | +30% | 2,830 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +20% | 10,770 |
| Colorado | $51K | +15% | 25,510 |
| Vermont | $50K | +13% | 1,970 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +13% | 3,840 |
| Hawaii | $49K | +11% | 7,330 |
| New Jersey | $48K | +10% | 27,750 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +10% | 3,320 |
| Delaware | $48K | +9% | 4,030 |
| Maine | $48K | +9% | 3,740 |
| New York | $47K | +7% | 65,580 |
| California | $47K | +7% | 130,190 |
| Oregon | $47K | +7% | 16,880 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +6% | 23,220 |
| Alaska | $47K | +6% | 2,390 |
| Virginia | $46K | +3% | 30,640 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +3% | 20,760 |
| North Carolina | $45K | +2% | 39,750 |
| Indiana | $45K | +2% | 23,500 |
| North Dakota | $45K | +1% | 2,780 |
| Florida | $44K | +1% | 91,500 |
| Nevada | $44K | -0% | 14,230 |
| Montana | $44K | -0% | 4,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | -2% | 35,560 |
| Maryland | $42K | -4% | 20,150 |
| South Dakota | $41K | -8% | 2,920 |
| Arizona | $41K | -8% | 21,450 |
| Tennessee | $41K | -8% | 29,100 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | -10% | 21,240 |
| Illinois | $39K | -10% | 41,030 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -11% | 6,540 |
| Nebraska | $39K | -11% | 7,840 |
| Iowa | $39K | -12% | 11,400 |
| Utah | $39K | -12% | 13,670 |
| Georgia | $39K | -12% | 48,420 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -13% | 20,120 |
| Kansas | $38K | -13% | 10,520 |
| Idaho | $38K | -13% | 7,440 |
| Michigan | $38K | -14% | 32,890 |
| Missouri | $37K | -15% | 21,650 |
| Ohio | $37K | -15% | 51,990 |
| Alabama | $37K | -16% | 19,180 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -16% | 2,680 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -17% | 10,480 |
| Texas | $36K | -17% | 137,930 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -19% | 18,010 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -19% | 16,680 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -20% | 18,900 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -23% | 11,200 |
| West Virginia | $33K | -25% | 6,390 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Cruz-Watsonville numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 127.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,449/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 172% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $48,220 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,810, and experienced first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers can clear $75,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,300/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 127.7% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (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 $43,876 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.