SOC 35-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Preparation Workers — Santa Maria
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Santa Maria, CA comes to $38,470 a year, ahead of the national median of $35,320 by 8.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -3.4%
- Openings per year
- 148,000
- 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 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
Median pay for this occupation in Santa Maria, CA comes to $38,470 a year, ahead of the national median of $35,320 by 8.9%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $36,110 and $43,550. The lowest tenth earn under $34,840, while the highest tenth earn more than $48,690.
Employment stands at 1,490, or 7.4 jobs per thousand held locally. San Jose leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $45,580. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 396th of 433 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,840 | −1.4% |
| 25th | $36,110 | +2.2% |
| Median (50th) | $38,470 | +8.9% |
| 75th | $43,550 | +23.3% |
| 90th | $48,690 | +37.9% |
| Mean | $40,830 | +15.6% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $45,580 | 5,930 | |
| 2 | Napa | $42,810 | 620 | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa | $42,640 | 1,410 | |
| 4 | San Francisco | $41,000 | 14,470 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | $39,770 | 44,930 | |
| 6 | Santa Cruz | $39,110 | 830 | |
| 7 | Merced | $38,980 | 460 | |
| 8 | Vallejo | $38,840 | 930 | |
| 9 | San Diego | $38,780 | 9,360 | |
| 10 | El Centro | $38,610 | 320 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Santa Maria run 8.8% above the national average, so the median of $38,470 buys what $35,358 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 0.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$38,470as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$35,358US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $38,470 a year, 8.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,840 to $48,690 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,490 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $45,580.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Preparation Workers in Santa Maria, CA?
The median annual wage is $38,470, or $18.50 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 $35,320, so pay in Santa Maria, CA is 8.9% 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 Santa Maria, CA earns more than $48,690 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,840 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 $45,580 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,490 jobs in this occupation in Santa Maria, 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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