Cooks, Restaurant Salary in California (2025)
Official BLS OEWS data · May 2025 · 152,250 employed
Annual Mean
$45,020
$21.65/hr
Annual Median
$44,880
$21.58/hr
Bottom 10%
$37,100
$17.84/hr
Top 10%
$55,580
$26.72/hr
Location vs National Average
California
$45,020
Difference
+16.2% vs US avg
US National
$38,730
Salary Percentile Breakdown
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
10th Percentile Bottom 10% | $37,100 |
25th Percentile Lower quarter | $38,590 |
50th PercentileMedian Median | $44,880 |
75th Percentile Upper quarter | $47,330 |
90th Percentile Top 10% | $55,580 |
Salary Distribution
Annual Salary Range
10th
$37K
25th
$39K
Median
$45K
75th
$47K
90th
$56K
California has a large Cooks, Restaurant workforce with approximately 152,250 positions, indicating strong demand for this occupation in the region.
In California, Cooks, Restaurant salaries range from $37,100 at the 10th percentile to $55,580 at the 90th percentile — a spread of $18,480 (41% of the median). This relatively narrow range suggests more consistent pay across employers in this area.
Top Paying Cities in California
Metro areas with highest Cooks, Restaurant wages
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$49,390
per year
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$48,630
per year
Napa, CA
$47,830
per year
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$46,470
per year
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$45,770
per year
Salinas, CA
$45,310
per year
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$44,750
per year
Vallejo, CA
$44,200
per year
How Cooks, Restaurant Compares in California
The average Cooks, Restaurant salary of $45,020 in California ranks above the national average of $38,730. There are approximately 152,250 Cooks, Restaurants employed in California.
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Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Public domain · Not affiliated with BLS.