Cooks, Short Order pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,470 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Merced earn between $34,800 and $42,650.
- $34K10th
- $35K25th
- $36KMedian
- $43K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,400 | $3,200 | $18.46 |
| Median | $36,240 | $3,020 | $17.42 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $34,800 | $2,900 | $16.73 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $42,650 | $3,554 | $20.50 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Short Order pay in Merced vs. California and the U.S.
Cooks, short order in Merced earn 9% less than the California average ($42,260) and 6% more than the U.S. average ($36,120). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $35,880.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced | $38,400 | $36,240 | $34,320 | $44,470 | 140 |
| California | $42,260 | $42,930 | $35,880 | $47,150 | 30,740 |
| United States | $36,120 | $35,880 | $23,440 | $46,460 | 138,650 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $38,400, a single filer in Merced takes home about $32,363 a year, or $2,697 a month and $1,245 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 Merced a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $38,400 buys what about $39,074 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 10.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 22nd of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($46,250).
- San Francisco$46,250
- San Jose$45,720
- Santa Rosa$45,590
- Napa$44,260
- Vallejo$44,070
- Los Angeles$42,440
- Salinas$41,920
- Oxnard$41,900
- Sacramento$41,130
- Merced$38,400
Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).
- Kahului, HI$52,560
- Denver, CO$51,530
- Seattle, WA$49,560
- Corvallis, OR$48,580
- San Francisco, CA$46,250
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Cooks, Short Order salary in Merced: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Merced?
$18.46 an hour on average, and $17.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,800, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Merced?
About $32,363 a year ($2,697 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,400. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% more than the U.S. average for this job ($36,120).
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 35-2015; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
- 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 1.93, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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