Careers · Cooks, Fast Food · California
Cooks, Fast Food in California
Fast food cooks prepare and cook food in restaurants with limited menus, typically working with large-volume cooking equipment designed for specific items. They handle tasks like grilling, frying, and assembling basic menu items in fast-paced kitchen environments at chains and quick-service restaurants across the country. In California the median pay is $42,050 a year, 36% above the national median of $30,890.
$42,050median pay in California, per year
$37,260–$43,300middle half earn
124,440employed in California
$30,890U.S. median, for comparison
Are you suited for this?
Four short assessments and your background, scored against cooks, fast food and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
Four short assessments and your background, scored against cooks, fast food and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
What it takes
Preparation: Some preparation (usually high school; some on-the-job training).
Skills that matter most
Service OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCoordinationCritical ThinkingMonitoringSocial Perceptiveness
Knowledge areas
Food ProductionCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageProduction and ProcessingAdministration and Management
Full profile, interests that fit, certifications and training: Cooks, Fast Food.
Licenses and training in California
Cooks, Fast Food pay in other states
Hawaii · $48,120District of Columbia · $44,670Washington · $39,120New Hampshire · $38,590Vermont · $38,230Oregon · $37,880Massachusetts · $37,870Colorado · $36,900Maine · $36,350New York · $35,770
Related occupations
Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaCooks, Private HouseholdCooks, RestaurantCooks, Short OrderCooks, All OtherFood Preparation WorkersChefs and Head CooksFirst-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Are you suited for this?
Four short assessments and your background, scored against cooks, fast food and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
Four short assessments and your background, scored against cooks, fast food and 13,000 other careers — with the reasons. Free.
O*NET-SOC 35-2011.00. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California, annual.