Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $49,840 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Santa Cruz earn between $38,360 and $47,200.
- $37K10th
- $38K25th
- $45KMedian
- $47K75th
- $50K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $44,090 | $3,674 | $21.20 |
| Median | $44,560 | $3,713 | $21.42 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,360 | $3,197 | $18.44 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $47,200 | $3,933 | $22.69 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Santa Cruz vs. California and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Santa Cruz earn about the same as the California average ($45,020) and 14% more than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is +19% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | $44,090 | $44,560 | $37,170 | $49,840 | 1,020 |
| 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 Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $44,090, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $36,707 a year, or $3,059 a month and $1,412 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 Santa Cruz a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Cruz area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.9), so the average $44,090 buys what about $40,120 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 26.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 9th 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
- Santa Maria$43,580
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 Santa Cruz: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$21.20 an hour on average, and $21.42 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,360, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $36,707 a year ($3,059 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,090. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more than 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
- 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 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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