Fast food or counter worker pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance
Median salary
$42,190$20.28 per hour · $3,516 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Fast food or counter worker salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes
Fast food or counter workers pay range in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.07/hr | $2,959 | $35,510 | $30,309 |
| 25th percentile | $17.60/hr | $3,050 | $36,600 | $31,141 |
| MedianMedian | $20.28/hr | $3,516 | $42,190 | $35,409 |
| 75th percentile | $21.02/hr | $3,643 | $43,720 | $36,578 |
| 90th percentile | $22.69/hr | $3,933 | $47,200 | $39,234 |
Is $42,190 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for fast food or counter workers next to both.
Fast food or counter workers pay in California and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Do fast food or counter workers pay tax on tips?
Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.
Fast food or counter worker pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $42,190 in May 2025, about $3,516 a month or $20.28 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $42,280, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $20.28 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.07 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.69.
How many fast food or counter workers work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
BLS estimated 42,550 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 27.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.12 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $35,510 at the 10th percentile to $36,600 at the 25th, $43,720 at the 75th, and $47,200 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do fast food or counter workers take home after taxes in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
On a median gross salary of $42,190, an estimated $35,409 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,362 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,781 (an effective rate of 16.1%).
How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
On the median annual salary of $42,190, gross monthly income is $3,516. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,951 per month (or $1,362 every two weeks).
Is $42,190 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
At $42,190, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 39.7% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 28% below the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.9, so prices here run 11.9% above the U.S. average.