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How Much Does a Food Preparation Worker Make?
A food preparation worker in the US earns a median salary of $35,320 a year, or $16.98 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $35,290, and the middle half earn between $29,950 and $38,550.
Food preparation worker pay range
What food preparation workers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $25,810 | $12.41 | |
| 25th | $29,950 | $14.40 | |
| Median (50th) | $35,320 | $16.98 | |
| 75th | $38,550 | $18.53 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $45,340 | $21.80 |
The median is 31% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 893,600 people work as food preparation workers in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $679
- Every two weeks
- $1,358
- Twice a month
- $1,472
- A month
- $2,943
At the median salary, before tax.
Food preparation worker salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Washington pays food preparation workers the most, at $42,660 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $42,660 | $40,910 | 19,510 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $41,670 | $38,160 | 5,950 | After tax |
| California | $41,480 | $39,350 | 112,750 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $41,350 | $39,600 | 3,970 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $41,030 | $38,900 | 13,620 | After tax |
| Colorado | $40,210 | $38,960 | 12,080 | After tax |
| Oregon | $39,510 | $37,450 | 11,860 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $39,290 | $36,650 | 12,250 | After tax |
| Vermont | $38,850 | $36,550 | 1,350 | After tax |
| New York | $38,310 | $35,610 | 62,380 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $37,910 | $35,470 | 2,830 | After tax |
| Arizona | $37,810 | $36,750 | 16,590 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $37,680 | $35,540 | 24,730 | After tax |
| Maine | $37,470 | $36,030 | 4,560 | After tax |
| Alaska | $37,230 | $35,720 | 2,800 | After tax |
| Maryland | $37,090 | $35,500 | 13,280 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $36,440 | $36,780 | 3,420 | After tax |
| Delaware | $36,360 | $35,930 | 2,400 | After tax |
| Nevada | $36,290 | $33,460 | 11,420 | After tax |
| Illinois | $36,260 | $34,850 | 34,820 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $36,210 | $36,800 | 980 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $35,610 | $34,850 | 24,620 | After tax |
| Florida | $35,210 | $35,920 | 73,100 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $35,210 | $36,110 | 1,620 | After tax |
| Virginia | $34,930 | $34,900 | 16,340 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $34,880 | $35,210 | 6,890 | After tax |
| Utah | $34,580 | $33,540 | 10,530 | After tax |
| Ohio | $34,560 | $34,530 | 19,480 | After tax |
| Missouri | $34,040 | $31,510 | 13,650 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $34,000 | $34,070 | 17,990 | After tax |
| Georgia | $33,970 | $35,250 | 26,450 | After tax |
| Montana | $33,700 | $33,860 | 2,990 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $32,880 | $33,370 | 6,850 | After tax |
| Michigan | $32,720 | $31,180 | 17,380 | After tax |
| Idaho | $32,380 | $31,510 | 4,670 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $32,300 | $32,180 | 14,460 | After tax |
| Texas | $32,120 | $30,650 | 81,280 | After tax |
| Iowa | $32,080 | $30,360 | 4,170 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $31,880 | $30,840 | 17,940 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $31,630 | $30,430 | 3,270 | After tax |
| Indiana | $31,560 | $29,700 | 16,200 | After tax |
| Kansas | $31,460 | $30,280 | 7,680 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $31,270 | $30,260 | 24,960 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $30,860 | $28,700 | 19,780 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $30,160 | $30,460 | 390 | |
| Arkansas | $29,460 | $27,660 | 5,500 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $28,760 | $26,850 | 15,390 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $28,710 | $28,540 | 7,430 | After tax |
| Alabama | $28,460 | $27,930 | 17,680 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $28,450 | $28,360 | 2,960 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $26,750 | $26,240 | 7,870 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $25,580 | $23,620 | 30,920 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $23,720 | $22,400 | 4,130 | |
| Guam | $22,470 | $21,820 | 530 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other food preparation and serving jobs
- Fast food worker $31,200 median
- Waiter $35,230 median
- Restaurant cook $37,390 median
- First-line supervisor of food preparation and serving workers $44,080 median
- Bartender $34,340 median
- Fast food cook $30,890 median
- Dining room and cafeteria attendant and bartender helper $33,980 median
- Dishwasher $34,810 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Food Preparation Workers” (SOC 35-2021). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a food preparation worker make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a food preparation worker is $16.98, and the average is $16.96. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $12.41 an hour and the top 10% over $21.80.
How much does a food preparation worker make a month?
At the median salary of $35,320, a food preparation worker earns about $2,943 a month before tax, or $1,358 every two weeks.
Which state pays food preparation workers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for a food preparation worker, at $42,660 a year. Next are Hawaii and California. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a food preparation worker?
The lowest-paid 10% of food preparation workers earn less than $25,810 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $29,950. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid food preparation workers make?
The top 10% earn more than $45,340 a year, and the top 25% more than $38,550.
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