Salary comparison
Fast Food and Counter Workers: Santa Cruz vs Sacramento
Santa Cruz, CA pays about 1.3% more for fast food and counter workers on paper — $43,400 vs $42,860. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Santa Cruz comes out ahead by $540 a year in real buying power.
Santa Cruz, CA
$43,400
$36,530
$44,880
$20.87
100
$43,400/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Sacramento, CA
$42,860
$37,570
$44,050
$20.61
100
$42,860/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $540 a year (1.3%) in favor of Santa Cruz. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Santa Cruz runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Sacramento sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Santa Cruz is the better deal by $540 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Sacramento to Santa Cruz for this role, the raise needs to beat 1.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do fast food and counter workers earn more, Santa Cruz or Sacramento?
Santa Cruz pays $43,400 on median — about 1.3% more than Sacramento ($42,860). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Santa Cruz. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Santa Cruz gives you roughly$43,400 of real buying power versus $42,860 in the other city.