The average salary for a food preparation worker in the United States is $32,960, but the range typically falls between $27,920 and $36,780. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $15.85, with a range between $13.42 and $17.68.
There are approximately 879,610 people employed as a food preparation worker in the United States. With California, Texas, Florida employing the highest number of food preparation workers.The state with the best pay for a food preparation worker is Washington, with an average annual salary of $41,990, while Louisiana has the lowest average annual salary of $23,620.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $22,970 | $11.04 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,920 | $13.42 |
| Median | $32,420 | $15.59 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,780 | $17.68 |
| 90th Percentile | $42,990 | $20.67 |
The salary of a food preparation worker can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a food preparation worker in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for food preparation workers are Washington, District of Columbia, Colorado, California, New York while the worst states are Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, New Mexico.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $18,420 | $25,810 | $35,080 |
| Alaska | $28,480 | $36,530 | $44,130 |
| Arizona | $29,580 | $34,740 | $41,640 |
| Arkansas | $23,770 | $29,780 | $35,360 |
| California | $33,620 | $39,170 | $46,870 |
| Colorado | $30,770 | $38,730 | $48,360 |
| Connecticut | $30,630 | $36,930 | $47,180 |
| Delaware | $25,680 | $32,370 | $39,520 |
| District of Columbia | $35,400 | $39,540 | $46,200 |
| Florida | $26,000 | $32,760 | $38,130 |
| Georgia | $21,770 | $30,310 | $36,980 |
| Hawaii | $28,280 | $38,420 | $54,070 |
| Idaho | $18,690 | $29,050 | $39,800 |
| Illinois | $27,040 | $34,010 | $41,650 |
| Indiana | $22,710 | $30,870 | $38,330 |
| Iowa | $18,560 | $28,740 | $38,310 |
| Kansas | $21,400 | $29,710 | $38,350 |
| Kentucky | $19,340 | $27,360 | $36,210 |
| Louisiana | $18,260 | $23,620 | $30,210 |
| Maine | $29,700 | $34,640 | $41,440 |
| Maryland | $28,440 | $34,250 | $42,590 |
| Massachusetts | $32,500 | $39,010 | $48,610 |
| Michigan | $24,620 | $32,620 | $39,480 |
| Minnesota | $28,030 | $34,510 | $44,650 |
| Mississippi | $18,050 | $25,380 | $33,170 |
| Missouri | $25,710 | $30,460 | $37,100 |
| Montana | $22,180 | $30,820 | $38,260 |
| Nebraska | $25,440 | $30,540 | $36,690 |
| Nevada | $25,420 | $34,950 | $47,440 |
| New Hampshire | $25,180 | $34,000 | $43,140 |
| New Jersey | $29,680 | $36,190 | $46,130 |
| New Mexico | $25,720 | $29,470 | $35,690 |
| New York | $31,200 | $38,300 | $47,120 |
| North Carolina | $20,120 | $27,770 | $36,060 |
| North Dakota | $28,330 | $35,190 | $43,230 |
| Ohio | $22,830 | $30,210 | $37,540 |
| Oklahoma | $18,770 | $27,910 | $36,210 |
| Oregon | $30,060 | $36,190 | $43,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,860 | $29,300 | $39,080 |
| Rhode Island | $27,200 | $33,430 | $44,230 |
| South Carolina | $21,250 | $28,760 | $36,620 |
| South Dakota | $24,220 | $29,400 | $35,730 |
| Tennessee | $21,620 | $28,350 | $36,960 |
| Texas | $21,990 | $29,820 | $37,480 |
| Utah | $25,550 | $32,870 | $41,640 |
| Vermont | $30,800 | $36,780 | $43,900 |
| Virginia | $24,960 | $31,360 | $38,460 |
| Washington | $34,280 | $41,990 | $50,170 |
| West Virginia | $21,220 | $27,750 | $34,990 |
| Wisconsin | $22,710 | $31,200 | $39,130 |
| Wyoming | $23,260 | $32,330 | $42,480 |
Even between cities, the salary of a food preparation worker can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for food preparation workers is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area, WA with an average salary of $44,350.The city with the lowest average salary for food preparation workers is Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area, LA with an average salary of $21,840.
Areas with highest average salaries for food preparation workers
Areas with lowest average salaries for food preparation workers
The number of food preparation workers in the United States has been increasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of food preparation workers has increased by 86,020. On average, the number of food preparation workers has been increasing by 2.7% each year. The salary of food preparation workers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of food preparation workers has increased by $6,140. On average, the salary of food preparation workers has been increasing by 5.7% each year.
Food Preparation Workers are part of the food preparation and serving related occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for food preparation workers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all food preparation and serving related occupations jobs here.
$32,730 per year
$33,920 per year
$36,060 per year
$36,530 per year
$62,640 per year
$37,610 per year
