Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Cooks, Fast Food in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $38,000 a year — 23% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,710 take-home, or $2,642 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,380
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,356
- Medicare (1.45%)$551
- California income tax$509
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$494
- Take-home pay$31,710
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,760 | $17.19 | $30,029 | $2,502 |
| 25th percentile | $37,080 | $17.83 | $31,019 | $2,585 |
| Median (50th) | $38,000 | $18.27 | $31,710 | $2,642 |
| 75th percentile | $42,540 | $20.45 | $35,117 | $2,926 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $45,550 | $21.90 | $37,376 | $3,115 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $38,000 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $31,710 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,922 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Los Angeles, CA has 1.9× the national concentration of cooks, fast food jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #20 of 53 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $47,220 | $38,625 | $34,979 |
| 2 | Bakersfield, CA | $41,480 | $34,321 | $34,020 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $38,560 | $33,163 | $33,817 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $44,030 | $37,558 | $33,796 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $46,670 | $38,217 | $33,056 |
| 6 | Riverside, CA | $42,480 | $35,072 | $32,949 |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | $42,210 | $34,869 | $32,689 |
| 8 | Fresno, CA | $39,620 | $32,925 | $32,230 |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | $38,000 | $31,710 | $27,922 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 53 metros →
About the job: cooks, fast food
Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +0.6% (slower than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Cooks, Fast Food salaries elsewhere in California
- San Jose, CA — $47,220
- Bakersfield, CA — $41,480
- San Francisco, CA — $46,670
- Riverside, CA — $42,480
- Sacramento, CA — $42,210
- Fresno, CA — $39,620
- Oxnard, CA — $42,530
- San Diego, CA — $42,450
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $38,000 a year, or about $18.27 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,080 and $42,540.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $38,000 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $31,710 a year ($2,642 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,003 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 23% above the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,922 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #20 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 85% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Los Angeles, CA
- Chef and Head Cook — $69,990
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $46,970
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $45,400
- Cooks, Restaurant — $44,460
- Cooks, Short Order — $43,680
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $42,110
- Food Preparation Worker — $39,770
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $38,350
- Dishwasher — $37,580
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $36,920
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $36,810
- Waiter and Waitress — $35,850