San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · SOC 35-2011

Cooks, Fast Food in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Metro area salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)

Share: Post LinkedIn

Median Salary

$42,450

per year in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

+37% above

National Median

$30,890

per year nationally

Hourly Rate

$20.41/hr

median hourly

Employment

10,630

jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Fast Food pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA at a median of $42,450 per year ($20.41/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $30,890, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays +37% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 10,630 cooks, fast foods are employed across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA in SOC 35-2011.

The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pay distribution spans from $36,110 at the 10th percentile to $47,230 at the 90th — a 1.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $37,190 and the 75th at $43,680, so half of San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad-based cooks, fast foods earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.

Salary Range in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Annual Salary Distribution

$36,110$37,190$42,450$43,680$47,230
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$36,110

25th Percentile

$37,190

Median

$42,450

75th Percentile

$43,680

90th Percentile

$47,230

Top Paying Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Similar Occupations in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Other roles inside the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA from the same SOC major group.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Cooks, Fast Food make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The median annual salary for Cooks, Fast Food in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is $42,450 ($20.41/hour). The salary range spans from $36,110 at the 10th percentile to $47,230 at the 90th percentile.
Is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad a good place to work as a Cooks, Fast Food?
Cooks, Fast Food in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA earns +37% above the national median of $30,890. There are approximately 10,630 Cooks, Fast Food jobs in this metro area.

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

Verify with BLS →