SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — San Diego
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in San Diego, CA is $47,100 per year, well above the national median of $37,450.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.0%
- Openings per year
- 69,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in San Diego, CA is $47,100 per year, well above the national median of $37,450. The gap of 25.8% is among the widest recorded for this occupation. Pay ranges from under $38,210 at the tenth percentile to more than $59,280 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $42,430 to $52,800.
Employment stands at 3,070, or 2.0 jobs per thousand held locally. San Jose leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $51,880. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 537th of 671 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,210 | +2.0% |
| 25th | $42,430 | +13.3% |
| Median (50th) | $47,100 | +25.8% |
| 75th | $52,800 | +41.0% |
| 90th | $59,280 | +58.3% |
| Mean | $48,170 | +28.6% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $51,880 | 2,640 | |
| 2 | San Francisco | $49,140 | 4,280 | |
| 3 | Santa Maria | $48,210 | 430 | |
| 4 | Napa | $48,060 | 130 | |
| 5 | Hanford | $47,310 | 80 | |
| 6 | Santa Rosa | $47,260 | 420 | |
| 7 | Vallejo | $47,130 | 270 | |
| 8 | Santa Cruz | $46,850 | 250 | |
| 9 | Salinas | $46,820 | 350 | |
| 10 | Modesto | $45,480 | 330 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in San Diego run 11.9% above the national average, so the median of $47,100 buys what $42,091 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 12.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$47,100as reported by BLSLocal price level
111.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,091US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $47,100 a year, 25.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,210 to $59,280 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,070 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $51,880.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in San Diego, CA?
The median annual wage is $47,100, or $22.64 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,450, so pay in San Diego, CA is 25.8% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in San Diego, CA earns more than $59,280 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,210 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Jose, at $51,880 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,070 jobs in this occupation in San Diego, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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