Cooks, Fast Food salary
in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
- Middle 50%
- $39,920–$43,780
- vs U.S. median
- +38%
- Metro rank
- #9 of 332
Cooks, Fast Food in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro earn a median of $42,700 a year, based on BLS estimates for 1,430 jobs (May 2025). That is 38% above the U.S. median of $30,890 and 2% above the CA statewide median of $42,050. It ranks #9 of 332 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE1,430 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Cooks, Fast Food pay in other CA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,670 |
| Napa, CA | $45,300 |
| Vallejo, CA | $44,450 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $43,840 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $43,630 |
| Salinas, CA | $43,120 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $42,530 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SANTA MARIA
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Fast Food salary in Santa Maria?
The BLS median is $42,700 a year (May 2025). Half of the 1,430 jobs pay between $39,920 and $43,780. The 10th percentile is $36,680 and the 90th is $44,290.
Is Santa Maria a high-paying metro for Cooks, Fast Food?
That is 38% above the U.S. median of $30,890 and 2% above the CA statewide median of $42,050. It ranks #9 of 332 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Fast Food make an hour in Santa Maria?
About $20.53 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $42,700 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $19.19–$21.05 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.