Cooks, Restaurant salary
in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
- Middle 50%
- $37,680–$46,700
- vs U.S. median
- +16%
- Metro rank
- #48 of 527
Cooks, Restaurant in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro earn a median of $43,340 a year, based on BLS estimates for 2,300 jobs (May 2025). That is 16% above the U.S. median of $37,390 and 3% below the CA statewide median of $44,880. It ranks #48 of 527 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE2,300 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Cooks, Restaurant pay in other CA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $47,320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,170 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,440 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,030 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $45,720 |
| Salinas, CA | $44,930 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $44,560 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,460 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SANTA MARIA
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Restaurant salary in Santa Maria?
The BLS median is $43,340 a year (May 2025). Half of the 2,300 jobs pay between $37,680 and $46,700. The 10th percentile is $36,500 and the 90th is $50,200.
Is Santa Maria a high-paying metro for Cooks, Restaurant?
That is 16% above the U.S. median of $37,390 and 3% below the CA statewide median of $44,880. It ranks #48 of 527 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour in Santa Maria?
About $20.84 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $43,340 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $18.12–$22.45 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.