Turnover Cost: Restaurant Cooks, California (2025)

Verified cost of employee turnover for the selected Restaurant Cooks population in California, United States, drawn from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025-may).

Estimated cost of turnover

Restaurant Cooks · California, United States

$22,500 – $90,000estimated range, 2025-may

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Estimated from a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics annual mean wage of $45,020 for Restaurant Cooks in California, United States (2025-may), multiplied by the 0.5×–2× cost of replacing an employee reported by SHRM and Gallup. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the wage, not the cost — the range is a planning estimate, and a real figure depends on time-to-fill, ramp-up, and lost productivity.

How Restaurant Cooks compares in California, United States

Annual mean wage — the input to the estimate above, compared directly rather than as a derived range. See all 33 industries.

  • Computer and Information Systems Managers
  • Nursing Assistants
  • Restaurant Cooks
  • Waiters and Waitresses
  • Home Health and Personal Care Aides

What this means

The annual mean wage for California restaurant cooks was $45,020 in May 2025. Replacing a departing cook costs an estimated $22,500 to $90,000 using Gallup's 50% to 200% replacement multiple. This range assumes typical hiring and training friction; adjust for your specific circumstances around time-to-fill and productivity ramp.

Estimated cost of turnover: Restaurant Cooks vs regional average

Estimated cost of turnover in California, United States, 2025-may. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
MeasureRestaurant CooksRegional average
Estimated cost of turnover$45,020$104,696

Related benchmarks

BenchmarkAccountants and Auditors, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $103,760 (2025-may).BenchmarkAssemblers and Fabricators, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $51,060 (2025-may).BenchmarkAutomotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $65,470 (2025-may).BenchmarkComputer Network Architects, California, United StatesEstimated cost of turnover: $161,350 (2025-may).