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El Pollo Loco salaries
El Pollo Loco salary estimate
$13.18hourly
Understanding El Pollo Loco Salaries
At El Pollo Loco, employees can expect an average salary of $27,421 annually. Hourly wages start around $13.18, with variations depending on position and department. For instance, management and specialized roles tend to offer higher compensation, reflecting the responsibilities involved. In retail, positions such as crew members and cashiers typically earn less than supervisors and managers, who enjoy better pay packages.
Salary Insights by Department
- Retail: Entry-level positions generally start at lower rates.
- Hospitality/Service: This sector offers competitive wages, particularly for roles with customer interaction.
- Management: These positions command the highest salaries, often exceeding $40,000.
Understanding these dynamics can assist job seekers in making informed career decisions, ensuring they find a role that aligns with their financial goals.
Highest paying jobs at El Pollo Loco
The highest paying jobs at El Pollo Loco are team leader, supervisor, assistant manager, and customer service representative. Team leader jobs at El Pollo Loco earn an average yearly salary of $33,429, El Pollo Loco supervisor jobs average $30,611, and El Pollo Loco assistant manager jobs average $30,550.
The lowest paying El Pollo Loco roles include crew member and server and hostess. El Pollo Loco crew member average salary is $24,164 per year. So while the average El Pollo Loco salary is $27,421 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
Highest paying jobs at El Pollo Loco
| Rank | Job title | Average El Pollo Loco salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Leader | $33,429 | $16.07 |
| 2 | Supervisor | $30,611 | $14.72 |
| 3 | Assistant Manager | $30,550 | $14.69 |
| 4 | Customer Service Representative | $29,634 | $14.25 |
| 5 | Shift Manager | $29,545 | $14.20 |
| 6 | Prep Cook | $28,430 | $13.67 |
| 7 | Shift Leader | $27,677 | $13.31 |
| 8 | Service Assistant | $26,723 | $12.85 |
| 9 | Sales Associate | $26,716 | $12.84 |
| 10 | Cashier | $26,247 | $12.62 |
| 11 | Cook/Server | $25,805 | $12.41 |
| 12 | Food Prep | $24,565 | $11.81 |
| 13 | Server And Hostess | $24,191 | $11.63 |
| 14 | Crew Member | $24,165 | $11.62 |
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El Pollo Loco salaries by department
Salaries at El Pollo Loco vary depending on the department you work in. El Pollo Loco salaries in the plant/manufacturing department are the highest with an average salary of $34,393. Employees in the hospitality/service department at El Pollo Loco receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $28,089 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at El Pollo Loco include the retail and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $26,852 and $27,428, respectively.
Average El Pollo Loco salary by department
| Rank | Department | Average El Pollo Loco salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plant/Manufacturing | $34,393 | $16.54 |
| 2 | Hospitality/Service | $28,089 | $13.50 |
| 3 | Warehouse | $27,647 | $13.29 |
| 4 | Customer Service | $27,428 | $13.19 |
| 5 | Retail | $26,853 | $12.91 |
How much does El Pollo Loco pay by department?
Best paying El Pollo Loco retail salaries
| Rank | Position | Average El Pollo Loco salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Manager | $48,491 | $23.31 |
| 2 | Team Leader | $33,429 | $16.07 |
| 3 | Assistant Manager | $30,550 | $14.69 |
| 4 | Shift Supervisor | $30,313 | $14.57 |
| 5 | Cashier | $26,247 | $12.62 |
Best paying El Pollo Loco hospitality/service salaries
| Rank | Position | Average El Pollo Loco salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurant Manager | $48,003 | $23.08 |
| 2 | Assistant General Manager | $44,334 | $21.31 |
| 3 | Chef | $37,537 | $18.05 |
| 4 | Prep Cook | $28,430 | $13.67 |
| 5 | Kitchen Staff | $27,701 | $13.32 |
| 6 | Food Handler | $27,435 | $13.19 |
| 7 | Lobby Attendant | $27,107 | $13.03 |
| 8 | Dish Washer | $26,793 | $12.88 |
| 9 | Cook/Server | $25,805 | $12.41 |
| 10 | Guest Services | $25,237 | $12.13 |
| 11 | Food Prep | $24,565 | $11.81 |
| 12 | Hostess Cashier | $24,240 | $11.65 |
| 13 | Server And Hostess | $24,191 | $11.63 |
| 14 | Waitress | $24,090 | $11.58 |
Best paying El Pollo Loco warehouse salaries
| Rank | Position | Average El Pollo Loco salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shift Lead Manager | $28,534 | $13.72 |
| 2 | Shift Leader | $27,677 | $13.31 |
El Pollo Loco competitors’ average salaries
Average salaries at El Pollo Loco competitors, like Rubio's Restaurants, Larry's Giant Subs, and Captain D's, vary. Rubio's Restaurants employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $39,252. The average salary at Larry's Giant Subs is $34,560 per year, and the average salary at Captain D's is $33,169 per year.
Highest paying El Pollo Loco competitors
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rubio's Restaurants | 4.1 | $39,252 |
| 2 | Larry's Giant Subs | 3.2 | $34,560 |
| 3 | Captain D's | 4.3 | $33,169 |
| 4 | Corner Bakery Cafe | 4.0 | $32,663 |
| 5 | Zax LLC | 4.2 | $32,658 |
| 6 | Baja Fresh | 4.0 | $31,155 |
| 7 | Cici Enterprises | 4.0 | $29,259 |
| 8 | Braum's | 4.3 | $28,969 |
| 9 | Wet 'n Wild | 4.3 | $28,740 |
| 10 | Garrett Popcorn Shops | 4.1 | $28,733 |
| 11 | Gateway Travel | 4.2 | $28,662 |
| 12 | Chicken Express | 3.6 | $28,401 |
| 13 | Honey Dew Donuts | 4.2 | $28,386 |
| 14 | Peter Piper Pizza | 3.7 | $27,949 |
| 15 | Pollo Tropical | 4.6 | $27,931 |
| 16 | Interfoods of America, Inc. | 3.8 | $27,910 |
| 17 | Bojangles | 4.1 | $27,396 |
| 18 | Chick-fil-A | 4.4 | $27,387 |
| 19 | Baker's Drive-Thru | 3.8 | $26,958 |
| 20 | Dairy Queen | 4.1 | $26,822 |
Recently added El Pollo Loco salaries
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Team Member | Los Angeles, CA | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Service Team Member | Los Angeles, CA | 05/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Restaurant Shift Lead | Albuquerque, NM | 05/15/2025 | $29,218 |
| Restaurant Assistant Manager | Albuquerque, NM | 05/15/2025 | $37,566 |
| Restaurant General Manager | Albuquerque, NM | 05/15/2025 | $57,000 |
What employees say about salary at El Pollo Loco
Some franchisees offer medical insurance.
You get over worked and treated like a door Matt. Your overtime sometimes is not payed. You sometimes don’t get a ten min break.
The food is good though.
Good food and meet good people
Too many tasks assigned to one employee, pay is low, stress environment during lunch time. They give .10 cents up to .50 cents raise.
Employee meal discount
The care that the manager shows towards the employees.
Horrible disorganization and getting overworked.
No benefits working here
Flexible Schedule.
Small chance of upward mobility beyond store manager.
Free food during scheduled shifts.
Frequently asked questions about El Pollo Loco salaries
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of El Pollo Loco, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about El Pollo Loco. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at El Pollo Loco. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by El Pollo Loco. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of El Pollo Loco and its employees or that of Zippia.
El Pollo Loco may also be known as or be related to EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC., El Pollo Loco, El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. and El Pollo Loco Inc.