LocalSalaryHub Salary Report
Cooks, Restaurant in Merced, CA · Generated June 15, 2026
Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Merced, CA $38,480/yr
$38,480
Mean: $40,920
~$30,014 est. take-home
$18.50
Based on 2,080 hrs/yr
100
100 = national avg
Difficult
Affordability score: 14/100
$150/mo
6%
Salary Distribution
Where the median falls between the 25th and 75th percentile.
25th %
$36,810
Median
$38,480
75th %
$45,340
Median is in the 20th percentile of the typical range
Cooks, Restaurant in other CA cities
Compare the same occupation across cities in CA.
About Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Merced, CA
Cooks, Restaurant in Merced, CA earn a median of $38,480 per year, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. The mean salary is $40,920, which tends to skew higher because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Most cooks, restaurant in this area earn between $36,810 and $45,340. Where you land depends on experience, employer type, and whether you have in-demand specializations.
That works out to roughly $18.50 per hour assuming a standard 2,080-hour work year. Actual hourly pay may differ for part-time or contract roles.
Career Outlook
This occupation is tracking close to the national average for job growth. Openings come from a mix of new positions and people retiring or changing careers, with regional variation depending on local industry mix.
Worth knowing: Staying current with industry certifications and picking up adjacent skills (data literacy, project management, or automation tools) is the most reliable way to earn above median in this field.
Cooks, Restaurant Jobs in Merced, CA
Median: $38,480/yr — browse openings that fit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary for a cooks, restaurant in Merced?▾
The median — where half earn more and half earn less — is $38,480. The average (mean) is $40,920, which is higher because top earners pull it up.
How much does a cooks, restaurant make per hour in Merced?▾
About $18.50/hour, based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. Part-time or overtime hours will change the actual rate.
What is the salary range for cooks, restaurant in Merced?▾
The middle 50% earn between $36,810 and $45,340. Below $36,810 is typically entry-level; above $45,340 usually means significant experience or specialized skills.
Salary Conversion Table
How does $38,480 per year break down across different time periods?
| Period | Gross | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $38,480 | $30,014 |
| Monthly | $3,207 | $2,501 |
| Biweekly | $1,480 | $1,154 |
| Weekly | $740 | $577 |
| Hourly (40h/wk) | $18.5 | $14.43 |
| Hourly (35h/wk) | $21.14 | $16.49 |
| Hourly (30h/wk) | $24.67 | $19.24 |
| Daily (8h) | $148 | $115 |
Take-home estimates use an effective tax rate of 22%. Actual amounts vary by filing status, deductions, and state tax.
Cooks, Restaurant: Highest-Paying Cities in the U.S.
Top 10 cities nationwide for cooks, restaurant, based on BLS median salary data.
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See more salary data
More pages tied to this occupation and region.
- Cooks, Restaurant salaries nationwide — the national median and the highest-paying metros for cooks, restaurant across all states.
- All CA salary data — every occupation we cover in CA, ranked by median pay, plus the cities that pay the most.
- Cooks, Restaurant in Kahului, HI — the top-paying city for cooks, restaurant in our dataset, in case you are weighing a move out of Merced.
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers salary overview — a closely related role (same SOC major group) with a national median of $40,976.