Cooks, Fast Food Salary in San Diego, CA
Cooks, Fast Food in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $42,450 a year — 37% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $35,049 take-home, or $2,921 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,914
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,632
- Medicare (1.45%)$616
- California income tax$687
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$552
- Take-home pay$35,049
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 San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,110 | $17.36 | $30,291 | $2,524 |
| 25th percentile | $37,190 | $17.88 | $31,102 | $2,592 |
| Median (50th) | $42,450 | $20.41 | $35,049 | $2,921 |
| 75th percentile | $43,680 | $21.00 | $35,973 | $2,998 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,230 | $22.71 | $38,632 | $3,219 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $42,450 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $35,049 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,326 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
San Diego, CA has 1.7× 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
San Diego, CA ranks #10 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 |
| 10 | San Diego, CA | $42,450 | $35,049 | $31,326 |
*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
- Los Angeles, CA — $38,000
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in San Diego, CA?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $42,450 a year, or about $20.41 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,190 and $43,680.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $42,450 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $35,049 a year ($2,921 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,239 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 37% above the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,326 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #10 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in San Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 84% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Diego, CA
- Chef and Head Cook — $60,600
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $47,100
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $46,980
- Cooks, Restaurant — $46,440
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $42,190
- Food Preparation Worker — $38,780
- Dishwasher — $38,530
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $38,260
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $36,330
- Bartender — $36,260
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $36,140
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $35,960