Food preparation worker pay in Santa Maria, CA at a glance
Median salary
$38,470$18.50 per hour · $3,206 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Santa Maria, CA after taxes
Food preparation 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 | $16.75/hr | $2,903 | $34,840 | $29,798 |
| 25th percentile | $17.36/hr | $3,009 | $36,110 | $30,767 |
| MedianMedian | $18.50/hr | $3,206 | $38,470 | $32,569 |
| 75th percentile | $20.94/hr | $3,629 | $43,550 | $36,448 |
| 90th percentile | $23.41/hr | $4,058 | $48,690 | $40,341 |
Is $38,470 a good salary in Santa Maria, CA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.
Food preparation workers pay in California and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Santa Maria, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area was $38,470 in May 2025, about $3,206 a month or $18.50 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 2% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA was $18.50 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.41.
How many food preparation workers work in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
BLS estimated 1,490 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.29 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA run from $34,840 at the 10th percentile to $36,110 at the 25th, $43,550 at the 75th, and $48,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
On a median gross salary of $38,470, an estimated $32,569 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,253 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,901 (an effective rate of 15.3%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
On the median annual salary of $38,470, gross monthly income is $3,206. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,714 per month (or $1,253 every two weeks).
Is $38,470 a good salary in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
At $38,470, the median salary for food preparation workers is 39.2% of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA median household income ($98,161). It is 26% 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.