School cafeteria and food service pay in California, by district (2026–27)
Updated 2026-11-05
The typical California district pays cafeteria and food service staff about $19.08 to $24.59 an hour this school year. The highest posted pay right now is at Sweetwater Union High School District ($18.70–$47.56/hr), Santa Clara Unified School District ($26.92–$47.14/hr) and San Bernardino City Unified ($19.43–$42.60/hr). 369 of these jobs are open today at 216 districts and schools.
The tables below cover 341 districts and schools, from 1,175 postings since July 1, and they update every day.
What the job is like
The titles vary (food service worker, nutrition services assistant, cafeteria assistant, cook), but the work is preparing and serving breakfast and lunch, running the line, and cleaning up. Since California started serving free meals to every student, kitchens serve more meals than they used to, and many districts have been hiring.
Most of these jobs are part-time, and the typical posting is around 4 hours a day, starting before the first bell. That's why so many parents take them: the shift ends around the time the kids are done, and the job follows the school calendar. Whether a job comes with health benefits usually depends on the hours, and the cutoff differs by district, so ask.
Districts usually ask for a high school diploma or the equivalent and some food handling experience. Many ask for a food handler card or a food safety certificate, and some will help you get one after you're hired. Cooks and leads need more experience and pay more; managers are paid on a different range and aren't in these tables.
Want to hear when a district near you posts a cafeteria job, with the hours and pay shown? Free, once a day, or within minutes with Plus.
Food service pay by district
Highest posted pay
| District or school | County | Posted pay |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater Union High School District | San Diego County | $18.70–$47.56/hr |
| Santa Clara Unified School District | Santa Clara County | $26.92–$47.14/hr |
| San Bernardino City Unified | San Bernardino County | $19.43–$42.60/hr |
| Live Oak Unified | Sutter County | $23.72–$41.06/hr |
| Pleasanton Unified School District | Alameda County | $21.92–$40.46/hr |
| San Luis Obispo County Office of Education | San Luis Obispo County | $19.67–$39.99/hr |
| San Juan Unified School District | Sacramento County | $18.11–$37.47/hr |
| Planada Elementary School District | Merced County | $23.41–$36.08/hr |
| Mt. Diablo Unified | Contra Costa County | $21.83–$34.77/hr |
| Coachella Valley Unified School District | Riverside County | $22.23–$34.49/hr |
By county
Pick your county to see every district and school in it. "Typical" is the middle district: half post more, half less.
| County | Districts and schools | Typical low | Typical high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 8 | $20.72 | $26.23 |
| Butte County | 6 | $18.26 | $26.62 |
| Calaveras County | 3 | $18.91 | $23.12 |
| Colusa County | 1 | $17.56 | $31.02 |
| Contra Costa County | 7 | $19.35 | $26.64 |
| El Dorado County | 6 | $19.56 | $26.24 |
| Fresno County | 10 | $19.62 | $23.06 |
| Glenn County | 3 | $19.25 | $22.63 |
| Humboldt County | 2 | $17.67 | $27.71 |
| Imperial County | 6 | $18.88 | $19.93 |
| Inyo County | 1 | $20.07 | $20.21 |
| Kern County | 12 | $17.51 | $22.81 |
| Kings County | 2 | $20.12 | $25.25 |
| Lake County | 1 | $18.21 | $21.54 |
| Lassen County | 2 | $18.12 | $20.12 |
| Los Angeles County | 40 | $18.36 | $22.09 |
| Madera County | 4 | $18.83 | $25.03 |
| Marin County | 3 | $20.58 | $28.04 |
| Mariposa County | 1 | $17.75 | $22.71 |
| Mendocino County | 3 | $19.30 | $21.88 |
| Merced County | 12 | $19.12 | $23.79 |
| Mono County | 2 | $20.23 | $27.26 |
| Monterey County | 8 | $18.12 | $21.80 |
| Napa County | 1 | $21.57 | $28.99 |
| Orange County | 20 | $19.81 | $26.35 |
| Placer County | 7 | $20 | $23.86 |
| Plumas County | 1 | $18 | $19.75 |
| Riverside County | 22 | $19.23 | $26.16 |
| Sacramento County | 7 | $18.30 | $24.11 |
| San Benito County | 2 | $18.52 | $22.04 |
| San Bernardino County | 19 | $19.43 | $24.62 |
| San Diego County | 25 | $18.71 | $23.38 |
| San Joaquin County | 7 | $19.74 | $25.33 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 5 | $19.67 | $26.88 |
| San Mateo County | 7 | $22.47 | $29.07 |
| Santa Barbara County | 8 | $21.08 | $24.09 |
| Santa Clara County | 13 | $21.28 | $26.95 |
| Santa Cruz County | 1 | $20.28 | $25.87 |
| Shasta County | 4 | $18.41 | $25.45 |
| Sierra County | 1 | $17.89 | $24.99 |
| Siskiyou County | 1 | $17.42 | $27.08 |
| Solano County | 5 | $20.67 | $25.79 |
| Sonoma County | 6 | $20.59 | $25.26 |
| Stanislaus County | 7 | $19.03 | $28.11 |
| Sutter County | 3 | $19.90 | $26.10 |
| Tulare County | 11 | $18.73 | $25.23 |
| Tuolumne County | 2 | $19.31 | $23.25 |
| Ventura County | 7 | $18.77 | $22.85 |
| Yolo County | 5 | $18.54 | $22.38 |
| Yuba County | 1 | $18.08 | $25.64 |
Alameda County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Alameda Unified School District | $19.51–$23.68/hr |
| Castro Valley Unified School District | $23.66–$28.76/hr |
| Dublin Unified School District | $19.49–$23.77/hr |
| Fremont Unified School District | $23.09–$33.17/hr |
| New Haven Unified School District | $18.19/hr |
| Oakland Unified School District | $16.10–$24.32/hr |
| Pleasanton Unified School District | $21.92–$40.46/hr |
| San Leandro Unified School District | $22.46–$28.13/hr |
Butte County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Durham Unified | $18.47–$21.07/hr |
| Gridley Unified School District | $17.51–$30.44/hr |
| Oroville City Elementary School District | $18.02/hr |
| Palermo Union Elementary | $18.05–$23.44/hr |
| Paradise Unified | $18.89–$31.28/hr |
| Thermalito Union Elementary School District | $18.91–$29.79/hr |
Calaveras County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Calaveras Unified School District | $21.97–$33.83/hr |
| Mark Twain Union Elementary School District | $18.18–$20.04/hr |
| Vallecito Union School District | $18.91–$23.12/hr |
Colusa County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Williams Unified School District | $17.56–$31.02/hr |
Contra Costa County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Brentwood Union School District (Northern California) | $19.35–$27.55/hr |
| Knightsen Elementary School District | $18.51–$22.49/hr |
| Liberty Union High School District | $18.15–$23.76/hr |
| Mt. Diablo Unified | $21.83–$34.77/hr |
| Pittsburg Unified School District | $20.85–$26.64/hr |
| San Ramon Valley Unified School District | $19.17–$26.32/hr |
| Walnut Creek School District | $21.36–$28.60/hr |
El Dorado County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Buckeye Union School District | $19.73/hr |
| El Dorado County Office of Education | $19.95–$25.97/hr |
| El Dorado Union High School District | $19.40–$33.02/hr |
| Gold Oak Union Elementary | $18.58–$26.52/hr |
| Lake Tahoe Unified School District | $21.68–$27.68/hr |
| Pollock Pines Elementary School District | $17.27–$23.93/hr |
Fresno County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Central Unified School District | $19.03–$23.16/hr |
| Coalinga-Huron Unified School District | $20.18/hr |
| Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified | $19.62–$25.83/hr |
| Kings Canyon Unified School District | $19.61/hr |
| Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District | $20.30–$22.97/hr |
| Parlier Unified School District | $19.08–$21.96/hr |
| Riverdale Joint Unified | $18.51–$24.54/hr |
| Sanger Unified School District | $18.26–$24.12/hr |
| Selma Unified School District (Selma, California) | $19.65–$26.96/hr |
| West Park School District | $19.62–$22.20/hr |
Glenn County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Hamilton Unified School District | $19.25–$22.40/hr |
| Orland Joint Unified | $17.73–$22.63/hr |
| Willows Unified School District | $19.75–$24.08/hr |
Humboldt County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Eureka City Schools | $16.74–$26.57/hr |
| Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District | $18.60–$28.86/hr |
Imperial County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Brawley Elementary School District | $19.79–$22.37/hr |
| Calexico Unified School District-Personnel Commission | $18.54–$18.68/hr |
| Central Union High School District | $21.29/hr |
| Holtville Unified School District | $17.41–$18.88/hr |
| Imperial Unified School District | $19.21–$20.98/hr |
| McCabe Union Elementary School District | $17.18/hr |
Inyo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Lone Pine Unified | $20.07–$20.21/hr |
Kern County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Delano Union Elementary | $17.85–$30.47/hr |
| Kern County Superintendent of Schools | $18–$24.40/hr |
| Lakeside Union School District | $17.23/hr |
| McFarland Unified School District | $17.64/hr |
| Muroc Joint Unified | $17.33–$18.58/hr |
| Norris Elementary School District | $16.90–$23.29/hr |
| Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District | $16.91–$21.32/hr |
| Rosedale Union School District | $17–$28.18/hr |
| Taft City Elementary School District | $17.49–$22.33/hr |
| Tehachapi Unified School District | $17.58–$20.41/hr |
| Vineland Elementary School District | $19.87–$26.25/hr |
| Wasco Union Elementary | $17.53–$23.74/hr |
Kings County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Corcoran Joint Unified School District | $19.71–$25.23/hr |
| Lemoore Union High School District | $20.54–$25.26/hr |
Lake County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Konocti Unified | $18.21–$21.54/hr |
Lassen County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Shaffer Union Elementary | $17.98–$21.03/hr |
| Susanville School District | $18.27–$19.20/hr |
Los Angeles County
Madera County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Chawanakee USD | $21.98–$30.41/hr |
| Chowchilla Elementary School District | $18.96–$25.58/hr |
| Golden Valley Unified School District | $18.69–$24.48/hr |
| Madera Unified School District | $16.90–$17.97/hr |
Marin County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Miller Creek Elementary School District | $20.25–$25.85/hr |
| San Rafael City Schools | $20.58–$33.70/hr |
| Tamalpais Union High School District | $23.09–$28.04/hr |
Mariposa County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Mariposa County Unified School District and COE | $17.75–$22.71/hr |
Mendocino County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Fort Bragg Unified School District | $19.30–$21.88/hr |
| Mendocino Unified School District | $19.20–$20.59/hr |
| Ukiah Unified School District | $19.74–$33.39/hr |
Merced County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Atwater Elementary School District | $18.06–$25.68/hr |
| Dos Palos Oro Loma Jt. Unified | $17.67–$22.21/hr |
| Gustine Unified | $19.58/hr |
| Livingston Union School District | $19.07–$25.14/hr |
| Los Banos Unified | $20.51–$24.98/hr |
| McSwain Union Elementary | $18.72–$22.09/hr |
| Merced City School District | $17.65–$33.27/hr |
| Merced County Office of Education | $19.20–$21.19/hr |
| Merced Union High School District | $19.16–$31.82/hr |
| Planada Elementary School District | $23.41–$36.08/hr |
| Stone Ridge Christian School | $20.09/hr |
| Weaver Union School District | $17.95–$22.59/hr |
Mono County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Eastern Sierra Unified | $18.37–$26.47/hr |
| Mammoth Unified School District | $22.10–$28.05/hr |
Monterey County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Greenfield Union School District - Monterey County | $16.90–$21.84/hr |
| Monterey Peninsula Unified School District | $18.09–$24.33/hr |
| North Monterey County Unified School District | $21.32/hr |
| Salinas City Elementary | $22.13/hr |
| Salinas Union High School District | $18.80–$21.76/hr |
| Santa Rita Union School District | $18.16–$23.17/hr |
| Soledad Unified School District | $16.29–$20.80/hr |
| Washington Union | $17.80/hr |
Napa County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Napa Valley Unified School District | $21.57–$28.99/hr |
Orange County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Brea Olinda Unified School District | $17.29–$21.05/hr |
| Capistrano Unified School District | $18.41–$24.76/hr |
| Capistrano Valley Christian Schools | $22.49/hr |
| Centralia Elementary School District | $20.80–$26.13/hr |
| Cypress School District (TK-6 Elementary) | $19.49–$32.81/hr |
| Fountain Valley Elementary School District | $20.23–$31.20/hr |
| Fullerton Joint Union High School District | $16.90–$26.58/hr |
| Huntington Beach Union High School District | $22.53–$27.98/hr |
| Irvine Chinese Immersion Academy | $18–$25/hr |
| Irvine Unified School District | $19.62–$28.36/hr |
| La Habra City School District | $20.30–$25.99/hr |
| Laguna Beach Unified | $24.13–$31.17/hr |
| Los Alamitos Unified | $20.05–$27.41/hr |
| Magnolia Elementary | $21.97–$27.57/hr |
| Newport-Mesa Unified School District | $20.66–$25.11/hr |
| Orange Prep School | $20–$22/hr |
| Oxford Preparatory Academy | $18.92–$24.68/hr |
| Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified | $16.90–$27.49/hr |
| Saddleback Valley Unified | $18.19–$24.35/hr |
| Tustin Unified School District | $19.38–$29.14/hr |
Placer County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Auburn Union School District | $17–$22.13/hr |
| John Adams Academy | $20/hr |
| Placer Union High School District | $20.21–$29.93/hr |
| Rocklin Unified School District | $18.27–$23.86/hr |
| Roseville City School District (Preschool to 8th Grade) | $18.49–$21.53/hr |
| Roseville Joint Union High School District | $24.06–$32.04/hr |
| Western Placer Unified School District | $20.12–$26.86/hr |
Plumas County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Plumas Unified School District | $18–$19.75/hr |
Riverside County
Sacramento County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Fortune School of Education | $20/hr |
| Galt Joint Union High | $17.59–$26.06/hr |
| Natomas Unified School District | $18.30–$24.11/hr |
| Robla Elementary | $17.43–$22.01/hr |
| Sacramento City Unified School District | $23.06–$27.50/hr |
| Sacramento County Office Of Education | $20.55–$23.81/hr |
| San Juan Unified School District | $18.11–$37.47/hr |
San Benito County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Hollister School District | $18.41–$20.31/hr |
| San Benito High School District | $18.63–$23.77/hr |
San Bernardino County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Adelanto Elementary School District | $17.60/hr |
| Barstow Unified | $20.18–$23.83/hr |
| Central School District | $18.69/hr |
| Chaffey Joint Union High School District | $24.99–$30.04/hr |
| Chino Valley Unified School District | $20.83–$27.73/hr |
| Colton Joint Unified School District | $19.43–$23.62/hr |
| Cucamonga School District | $22.20–$27.04/hr |
| Fontana Unified School District | $20.64–$26.87/hr |
| Hesperia Unified School District | $20.88–$30.89/hr |
| Lucerne Valley Unified | $22.59–$28.65/hr |
| Morongo Unified School District | $18.98–$21.34/hr |
| Ontario-Montclair School District (K-8) | $17.87–$32.42/hr |
| Oro Grande School District | $19.85–$21.92/hr |
| Redlands Unified School District | $19.18–$24.51/hr |
| San Bernardino City Unified | $19.43–$42.60/hr |
| Snowline Joint Unified | $17/hr |
| Upland Unified School District | $17.77–$32.74/hr |
| Victor Elementary School District | $23.95–$24.62/hr |
| Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified | $18.58–$22.22/hr |
San Diego County
San Joaquin County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Jefferson School District - Tracy | $23.64–$31.20/hr |
| Lammersville Unified School District (Mountain House) | $21.27–$25.33/hr |
| Lincoln Unified School District | $16.50–$23.48/hr |
| Linden Unified School District | $18.29–$22.30/hr |
| Lodi Unified | $16.90–$29.55/hr |
| Manteca Unified School District | $19.81–$27.65/hr |
| Tracy Unified School District | $19.74–$23.74/hr |
San Luis Obispo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Atascadero Unified | $20.77–$25.59/hr |
| Lucia Mar Unified School District | $20.20–$30.55/hr |
| Paso Robles Joint Unified School District | $19.09–$26.88/hr |
| San Luis Obispo County Office of Education | $19.67–$39.99/hr |
| Templeton Unified School District | $17.68–$22.46/hr |
San Mateo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Menlo Park City Elementary | $26.75–$34.14/hr |
| Millbrae Elementary School District | $21.93–$26.17/hr |
| San Bruno Park School District | $22.47–$28.68/hr |
| San Carlos School District | $20.72–$25.24/hr |
| San Mateo Union High School District | $27.87–$33.88/hr |
| San Mateo-Foster City School District | $22.95–$30.85/hr |
| South San Francisco Unified | $21.22–$29.07/hr |
Santa Barbara County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Buellton Union School District | $19.99–$23.01/hr |
| Carpinteria Unified School District | $26.94/hr |
| Goleta Union School District | $22.98–$27.96/hr |
| Hope Elementary School District | $21.10/hr |
| Manzanita Public Charter School | $18/hr |
| Orcutt Union School District and Academy Charter High School | $18.76–$25.16/hr |
| Santa Maria Joint Union High School District | $21.10–$22.72/hr |
| Santa Maria-Bonita School District | $21.06–$28.29/hr |
Santa Clara County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Alum Rock Union Elementary School District | $21.57–$30.11/hr |
| Berryessa Union School District | $21.50–$26.68/hr |
| Bullis Charter School | $18.70–$25/hr |
| East Side High School District | $21.28–$27.19/hr |
| Franklin-McKinley School District | $21.19–$25.81/hr |
| Gilroy Unified | $18.67–$26.95/hr |
| Los Altos Elementary School District | $22.97–$32.34/hr |
| Morgan Hill Unified School District | $19.57/hr |
| Mountain View Whisman School District | $24.03–$32.21/hr |
| Oak Grove School District | $19.26–$24.59/hr |
| San Jose Unified School District | $20.92/hr |
| Santa Clara Unified School District | $26.92–$47.14/hr |
| Union School District | $22.29–$33.64/hr |
Santa Cruz County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Pajaro Valley Unified School District | $20.28–$25.87/hr |
Shasta County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Enterprise Elementary | $18.83–$27.08/hr |
| Gateway Unified School District | $19.93–$30/hr |
| Redding Elementary School District | Shasta Montessori Elementary School | Igo-Ono-Platina School | $18–$23.82/hr |
| Whitmore School | $17.91–$21.43/hr |
Sierra County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified | $17.89–$24.99/hr |
Siskiyou County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Mount Shasta Union School District | $17.42–$27.08/hr |
Solano County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Benicia Unified School District | $22.29–$28.14/hr |
| Dixon Unified School District | $20.67–$25.79/hr |
| Fairfield-Suisun Unified | $23.12–$25.44/hr |
| Travis Unified School District | $20.05–$28.12/hr |
| Vallejo City Unified School District | $16.91–$21.13/hr |
Sonoma County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District | $17.63–$22.52/hr |
| Healdsburg Unified | $23.12–$26.92/hr |
| Petaluma City Schools | $20.14–$25.70/hr |
| Rincon Valley Union School District | $20.78–$28.63/hr |
| Roseland School District | $20.41–$24.82/hr |
| Santa Rosa City Schools | $20.77/hr |
Stanislaus County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Empire Union School District | $17.85–$20.67/hr |
| Newman-Crows Landing Unified | $23.49–$28.11/hr |
| Oakdale Joint Unified School District | $19.36–$28.98/hr |
| Patterson Joint Unified School District | $19.55–$30.07/hr |
| Salida Union School District | $17.78–$18.55/hr |
| Sylvan Union School District | $19.03–$33.14/hr |
| Turlock Unified School District | $18.51–$27.35/hr |
Sutter County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Live Oak Unified | $23.72–$41.06/hr |
| Sutter County Superintendent of Schools | $19.90–$26.10/hr |
| Yuba City Unified School District | $17.72–$25.02/hr |
Tulare County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District | $19.27–$24.59/hr |
| Dinuba Unified School District | $20.76–$25.23/hr |
| Exeter Unified School District | $18.24–$25.88/hr |
| Family F.O.C.U.S. | $18.53–$19.67/hr |
| Lindsay Unified School District | $17.92–$24.11/hr |
| Monson-Sultana Joint Union Elementary | $19.75–$24.68/hr |
| Porterville Unified School District | $18.46–$25.88/hr |
| Tulare City School District | $20.72–$28.09/hr |
| Tulare Joint Union High School District | $19.48–$29.23/hr |
| Visalia Unified School District | $18.38–$23.46/hr |
| Woodlake Unified School District | $18.73–$28.51/hr |
Tuolumne County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Jamestown School District | $18.53–$22.03/hr |
| Summerville Elementary School District | $20.09–$24.46/hr |
Ventura County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Conejo Valley Unified | $18.77–$22.85/hr |
| Fillmore Unified School District | $17.64–$21.45/hr |
| Hueneme Elementary School District | $21.26–$26.55/hr |
| Moorpark Unified School District | $18.68–$24.99/hr |
| Oak Park Unified | $19.78–$24.76/hr |
| Ojai Unified School District | $19.10–$20.27/hr |
| Rio Elementary | $18.38–$20.26/hr |
Yolo County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Davis Joint Unified School District | $20.51–$22.38/hr |
| Esparto Unified | $16.62–$24.13/hr |
| River Charter Schools | $16.90–$17.82/hr |
| Washington Unified School District - W. Sacramento | $20.80–$32.31/hr |
| Woodland Joint Unified | $18.54–$21.48/hr |
Yuba County
| District or school | Posted pay |
|---|---|
| Marysville Joint Unified School District | $18.08–$25.64/hr |
Where these numbers come from
We read every food service posting on EDJOIN and on the job boards of districts that post elsewhere, as long as it's open now or went up after July 1, 2026, and keep the ones that list an hourly rate. Substitutes, managers and supervisors are left out. New hires usually start at the low end of a range. Pay changes, so check the posting before you apply.