Cooks, Fast Food Salary in San Jose, CA
Cooks, Fast Food in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn a median $47,220 a year — 53% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $38,625 take-home, or $3,219 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in San Jose, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,486
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,928
- Medicare (1.45%)$685
- California income tax$883
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$614
- Take-home pay$38,625
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in San Jose, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $38,210 | $18.37 | $31,867 | $2,656 |
| 25th percentile | $42,320 | $20.35 | $34,952 | $2,913 |
| Median (50th) | $47,220 | $22.70 | $38,625 | $3,219 |
| 75th percentile | $49,900 | $23.99 | $40,582 | $3,382 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $50,850 | $24.45 | $41,276 | $3,440 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $47,220 buys in San Jose, CA
Prices in San Jose, CA are 10.4% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 2.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $38,625 take-home pay has the buying power of $34,979 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Fast Food jobs are about as common in San Jose, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.02).
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
San Jose, CA ranks #1 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 |
*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
- 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
- Los Angeles, CA — $38,000
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in San Jose, CA?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area is $47,220 a year, or about $22.70 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $42,320 and $49,900.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in San Jose, CA?
On the median $47,220 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $38,625 a year ($3,219 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,497 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Jose, CA a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 53% above the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 10.4% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $34,979 would in a typical U.S. city. San Jose, CA ranks #1 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in San Jose, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Jose, CA is $2,957 a month ($3,464 for two bedrooms) — 92% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Jose, CA
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $55,520
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $51,880
- Cooks, Restaurant — $47,170
- Food Preparation Worker — $45,580
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $44,570
- Dishwasher — $43,960
- Bartender — $42,270
- Waiter and Waitress — $41,920
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $41,710