Cooks, All Other Salary in Santa Cruz, CA

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

Median annual salary $43,260 +19.5% vs national
Median hourly $20.80
10th percentile $36,990
90th percentile $56,970
Employed locally 40
National median $36,210

Compare Cooks, All Other salary & buying power

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Cooks, All Other
in
Santa Cruz, CA
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $36,990
    25th
    $37,070
    50th (median)
    $43,260
    75th
    $49,940
    90th
    $56,970

    Santa Cruz economic context

    Unemployment rate 5.90% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $109,266 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, All Other salary vs area income 40% Median Cooks, All Other salary is 60% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, All Other

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Massachusetts $67,140
    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $56,870
    Washington $54,460
    South Florida nonmetropolitan area $53,950
    Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $53,580
    Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $51,690

    Nearby metros — Cooks, All Other salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $47,100
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $43,890
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $41,600
    San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $41,030
    California $39,430
    South Carolina $39,310

    Related occupations in Santa Cruz, CA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $37,300
    Waiters and Waitresses $35,270
    Cooks, Restaurant $42,460
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $46,980
    Cooks, Fast Food $37,670
    Food Preparation Workers $37,010

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, All Other make per hour in Santa Cruz?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, All Other in Santa Cruz, CA is $20.80, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $27.39 or more per hour.

    Is Santa Cruz above or below average for Cooks, All Other salaries?

    The median Cooks, All Other salary in Santa Cruz, CA is 19.5% above the national median of $36,210. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, All Other in Santa Cruz?

    Entry-level Cooks, All Other (10th percentile) earn around $36,990 per year in Santa Cruz, CA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $37,070.