Cooks, Short Order Salary in Santa Maria, CA

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA

Median annual salary $37,600 +5.6% vs national
Median hourly $18.08
10th percentile $34,690
90th percentile $44,770
Employed locally 360
National median $35,620

Compare Cooks, Short Order salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Santa Maria, CA stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Cooks, Short Order
in
Santa Maria, CA
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $34,690
    25th
    $35,750
    50th (median)
    $37,600
    75th
    $43,810
    90th
    $44,770

    Santa Maria economic context

    Unemployment rate 4.50% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $95,977 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Short Order salary vs area income 39% Median Cooks, Short Order salary is 61% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Short Order

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,970
    Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,700
    Barnstable Town, MA $46,830
    Arizona $46,240
    Washington $46,010
    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $46,010

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Short Order salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $44,270
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $43,610
    Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $43,570
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $42,310
    Napa, CA $39,650
    Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $39,010

    Related occupations in Santa Maria, CA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $36,960
    Waiters and Waitresses $34,340
    Cooks, Restaurant $43,320
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $46,290
    Cooks, Fast Food $37,010
    Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $34,270

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Short Order make per hour in Santa Maria?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Short Order in Santa Maria, CA is $18.08, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $22.55 or more per hour.

    Is Santa Maria above or below average for Cooks, Short Order salaries?

    The median Cooks, Short Order salary in Santa Maria, CA is 5.6% above the national median of $35,620. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Short Order in Santa Maria?

    Entry-level Cooks, Short Order (10th percentile) earn around $34,690 per year in Santa Maria, CA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $35,750.