Cooks, Restaurant pay range in El Centro
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,260 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in El Centro earn between $35,920 and $44,340.
- $35K10th
- $36K25th
- $38KMedian
- $44K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $39,760 | $3,313 | $19.12 |
| Median | $37,710 | $3,142 | $18.13 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,920 | $2,993 | $17.27 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,340 | $3,695 | $21.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in El Centro vs. California and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in El Centro earn 12% less than the California average ($45,020) and about the same as the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | $39,760 | $37,710 | $35,020 | $46,260 | 380 |
| California | $45,020 | $44,880 | $37,100 | $55,580 | 152,250 |
| United States | $38,730 | $37,390 | $28,700 | $47,900 | 1,409,890 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in El Centro
On the average salary of $39,760, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $33,401 a year, or $2,783 a month and $1,285 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is El Centro a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $39,760 buys what about $41,776 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 9.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other California cities
El Centro ranks 24th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($49,390).
- San Jose$49,390
- San Francisco$48,630
- Napa$47,830
- Santa Rosa$46,470
- San Diego$45,770
- Salinas$45,310
- Los Angeles$44,750
- Vallejo$44,200
- Santa Cruz$44,090
- El Centro$39,760
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in El Centro: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in El Centro?
$19.12 an hour on average, and $18.13 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in El Centro?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,920, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in El Centro?
About $33,401 a year ($2,783 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,760. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2014; area El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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