The median annual wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in California is $44,720 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $46,260.
Pay spans roughly $36,070 at the 10th percentile to $59,370 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $21.50 per hour. An estimated 2,340 people work as food cooking machine operators and tenders in California.
| Median (annual) | $44,720 |
| Mean (annual) | $46,260 |
| Median (hourly) | $21.50 |
| 10th percentile | $36,070 |
| 90th percentile | $59,370 |
| Employment | 2,340 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.