Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
SOC 35-1011 · Metropolitan Area · 2024 BLS OEWS
The median salary for a Chefs and Head Cooks in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $64,560 per year as of 2024. That works out to roughly $31.04 per hour. This is 6% above the national median of $60,990. 150 people work as Chefs and Head Cooks in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA. Wages have grown 83% since 2014, when the median was $35,320.
Median Annual Salary
$64,560
Mean Annual
$67,030
Median Hourly
$31.04
Total Employed
150
Location Quotient
1.32
Concentrated here
Salary Distribution
How This Compares
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$64,560
this metro
California
$66,780
you earn -3% vs state
United States
$60,990
you earn +6% vs US
Salary Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $64,560 |
| 2023 | $56,570 |
| 2022 | $57,800 |
| 2021 | $50,080 |
| 2020 | $54,070 |
| 2019 | $39,100 |
| 2018 | $70,350 |
| 2017 | $45,060 |
| 2016 | $39,530 |
| 2015 | $35,620 |
| 2014 | $35,320 |
Related Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations Jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Other occupations in the same group, sorted by salary.
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $46,980 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $46,000 |
| Cooks, All Other | $43,260 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $42,460 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $37,670 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $37,300 |