SOC 35-2011 · Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Santa Rosa, CA

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Santa Rosa, California is $43,620 a year ($20.97 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,840: half of the 1,050 people in this job in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 35% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

$43,620average per year

$20.97 / hourMedian $43,840Take-home ≈ $36,348

  • $37K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,050people in this job
+35%vs U.S. average
#5 of 25California metros
108cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Santa Rosa

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,340 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,720 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Santa Rosa earn between $40,540 and $45,370.

  • $37K10th
  • $41K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $45K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$43,620$3,635$20.97
Median$43,840$3,653$21.08
Entry level (25th percentile)$40,540$3,378$19.49
Experienced (75th percentile)$45,370$3,781$21.81

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Fast Food pay in Santa Rosa vs. California and the U.S.

Cooks, fast food in Santa Rosa earn 5% more than the California average ($41,490) and 35% more than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is +42% against the U.S. median of $30,890.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Rosa$43,620$43,840$37,340$47,7201,050
California$41,490$42,050$35,750$48,750124,440
United States$32,390$30,890$22,580$42,910641,070

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Santa Rosa

On the average salary of $43,620, a single filer in Santa Rosa takes home about $36,348 a year, or $3,029 a month and $1,398 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.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Santa Rosa a good place for cooks, fast food? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Santa Rosa area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 107.8), so the average $43,620 buys what about $40,470 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Rosa ($56,850). A typical home costs $796,761, or 18.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $43,620 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other California cities

Santa Rosa ranks 5th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($46,590).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for cooks, fast food

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,590).

Cooks, Fast Food salary by city

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Cooks, Fast Food salary in Santa Rosa: questions

How much do cooks, fast food make an hour in Santa Rosa?

$20.97 an hour on average, and $21.08 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, fast food salary in Santa Rosa?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,340 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,540, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, fast food take-home pay in Santa Rosa?

About $36,348 a year ($3,029 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $43,620. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do cooks, fast food earn more in Santa Rosa than elsewhere?

The average here is 35% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

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 35-2011; area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA (42220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • 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 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.