Food Preparation Workers Salary in California
The median for food preparation workers in California is $39,350 a year, somewhat above the national $35,320 (+11%); the state ranks 3rd of 51 states by median. That is 32% less than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Arizona and Nevada range from $33,460 in Nevada to $37,450 in Oregon. California employs 112,750 food preparation workers, 6.19 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.08 is close to the national share.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.92 | $17.79 | $18.92 | $21.42 | $23.30 | $19.94 | 112,750 | 6.19 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $35,190 | $37,010 | $39,350 | $44,540 | $48,470 | $41,480 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.41 | $14.40 | $16.98 | $18.53 | $21.80 | $16.96 | 893,600 | – | – |
| Annual | $25,810 | $29,950 | $35,320 | $38,550 | $45,340 | $35,290 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.08
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.19
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for food preparation workers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $21.91 | $45,580 | $37,340 | $55,550 | 5,930 | 5.23 | 0.91 |
| Napa, CA | $20.58 | $42,810 | $36,450 | $55,650 | 620 | 8.01 | 1.39 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $20.50 | $42,640 | $36,060 | $51,530 | 1,410 | 6.85 | 1.19 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $19.71 | $41,000 | $36,600 | $54,270 | 14,470 | 6.10 | 1.06 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $19.12 | $39,770 | $36,000 | $46,810 | 44,930 | 7.16 | 1.25 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $18.80 | $39,110 | $35,170 | $50,540 | 830 | 8.39 | 1.46 |
| Merced, CA | $18.74 | $38,980 | $34,320 | $47,110 | 460 | 5.84 | 1.02 |
| Vallejo, CA | $18.68 | $38,840 | $35,770 | $47,590 | 930 | 6.46 | 1.12 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $18.64 | $38,780 | $35,820 | $47,410 | 9,360 | 6.08 | 1.06 |
| El Centro, CA | $18.56 | $38,610 | $34,320 | $47,460 | 320 | 4.94 | 0.86 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $18.53 | $38,550 | $35,250 | $50,850 | 900 | 7.35 | 1.28 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $18.50 | $38,480 | $34,860 | $48,980 | 5,510 | 5.10 | 0.89 |
| Salinas, CA | $18.50 | $38,480 | $35,300 | $48,970 | 1,180 | 6.34 | 1.10 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $18.50 | $38,470 | $34,840 | $48,690 | 1,490 | 7.40 | 1.29 |
| Modesto, CA | $18.49 | $38,450 | $34,320 | $47,890 | 1,170 | 5.97 | 1.04 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $18.47 | $38,420 | $34,320 | $48,040 | 11,190 | 6.52 | 1.13 |
| Yuba City, CA | $18.15 | $37,740 | $34,470 | $45,470 | 320 | 6.19 | 1.08 |
| Fresno, CA | $18.14 | $37,730 | $34,320 | $48,880 | 2,090 | 4.38 | 0.76 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $18.11 | $37,680 | $34,660 | $50,980 | 1,910 | 5.91 | 1.03 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $18.05 | $37,550 | $34,560 | $47,370 | 1,470 | 5.07 | 0.88 |
| Chico, CA | $18.03 | $37,510 | $34,320 | $45,690 | 480 | 6.11 | 1.06 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $18.00 | $37,430 | $34,500 | $50,430 | 260 | 5.30 | 0.92 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $17.83 | $37,090 | $34,320 | $42,870 | 1,950 | 5.76 | 1.00 |
| Visalia, CA | $17.80 | $37,020 | $34,320 | $46,920 | 760 | 4.46 | 0.78 |
| Redding, CA | $17.50 | $36,400 | $34,320 | $44,390 | 420 | 5.88 | 1.02 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.22 | $37,900 | $34,320 | $45,160 | 540 | 8.60 | 1.50 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.07 | $37,590 | $34,910 | $45,680 | 640 | 6.12 | 1.06 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $18.01 | $37,450 | $34,660 | $45,880 | 740 | 6.72 | 1.17 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.