Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in California

In California, the median pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders is $21.51 an hour ($44,740 a year). About 2,010 people work in this job there.

$21.51Median hourly pay

$37,790–$48,080Middle half of workers, yearly

2,010People in this job in California

That is 8% higher than the U.S. median ($41,590). California ranks 13th of 41 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for food cooking machine operators and tenders in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$17.20	$35,770
25% of workers	$18.17	$37,790
Half of workers (median)	$21.51	$44,740
75% of workers	$23.12	$48,080
90% of workers	$25.64	$53,340

Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Modesto	$59,010	140
Stockton-Lodi	$51,560	70
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$47,220	220
Visalia	$45,880	70
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$42,760	320
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$41,070	0
Vallejo	$38,640	50
Fresno	$38,430	160
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$36,450	130

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for food cooking machine operators and tenders

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -0.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 3,700 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Cooks, Restaurant	$44,880
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	$44,020
Bakers	$43,120
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$52,910
Food Batchmakers	$41,670
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$50,640
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	$45,150
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders	$45,600

Other job titles for this job

Food Production WorkerOven OperatorSteam Oven OperatorWine PasteurizerBakery FryerBlanching Machine OperatorBoilerCasing CookerChip FryerCoconut BoilerConfectionery CookerCook Box Filler

Open food cooking machine operators and tenders jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring food cooking machine operators and tenders? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job free Find jobs Check pay for any job

Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/food-cooking-machine-operators-and-tenders/california.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.