Fast food or counter worker pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance
Median salary
$42,940$20.64 per hour · $3,578 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Fast food or counter worker salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes
Fast food or counter workers pay range in Santa Maria, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, 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 | $16.96/hr | $2,940 | $35,280 | $30,134 |
| 25th percentile | $17.57/hr | $3,046 | $36,550 | $31,103 |
| MedianMedian | $20.64/hr | $3,578 | $42,940 | $35,982 |
| 75th percentile | $21.27/hr | $3,687 | $44,240 | $36,975 |
| 90th percentile | $22.37/hr | $3,877 | $46,520 | $38,715 |
Is $42,940 a good salary in Santa Maria, 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 Santa Maria, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $42,940 in May 2025, about $3,578 a month or $20.64 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $42,280, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $20.64 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.96 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.37.
How many fast food or counter workers work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
BLS estimated 5,930 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 29.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.19 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $35,280 at the 10th percentile to $36,550 at the 25th, $44,240 at the 75th, and $46,520 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
On a median gross salary of $42,940, an estimated $35,982 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,384 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,958 (an effective rate of 16.2%).
How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
On the median annual salary of $42,940, gross monthly income is $3,578. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,999 per month (or $1,384 every two weeks).
Is $42,940 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
At $42,940, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 43.7% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 17% below the $51,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.8, so prices here run 8.8% above the U.S. average.