Average Salary for Food Preparation Workers
SOC 35-2021 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers in the United States is $34,220 ($16.45/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $23,490 at the 10th percentile to $44,260 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 888,770 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 38% since 2019.
Median Annual
$34,220
Mean Annual
$33,940
10th Pct
$23,490
75th Pct
$37,540
Employment
888,770
Salary Distribution
$23k
10th
$29k
25th
$34k
Median
$38k
75th
$44k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,120 |
| Napa, CA | $43,260 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $42,830 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $41,980 |
| Boulder, CO | $41,490 |
| Greeley, CO | $41,340 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $40,810 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,660 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $39,360 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $39,300 |
| Salinas, CA | $38,670 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $38,270 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $38,240 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $38,200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,130 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Washington | $38,950 |
| Colorado | $38,670 |
| District of Columbia | $38,440 |
| California | $38,150 |
| Massachusetts | $37,780 |
| Hawaii | $37,240 |
| Vermont | $37,030 |
| Alaska | $36,710 |
| Oregon | $36,390 |
| New York | $36,030 |
| Maine | $35,730 |
| North Dakota | $35,700 |
| Arizona | $35,480 |
| Rhode Island | $35,460 |
| Connecticut | $35,420 |
| Florida | $35,190 |
| New Hampshire | $35,170 |
| New Jersey | $34,910 |
| Minnesota | $34,820 |
| Wyoming | $34,380 |
| Maryland | $34,310 |
| Illinois | $34,180 |
| Nevada | $33,910 |
| Delaware | $33,280 |
| Georgia | $32,890 |
| Michigan | $32,810 |
| Wisconsin | $32,810 |
| Nebraska | $32,420 |
| Utah | $32,090 |
| Ohio | $31,590 |
| Virginia | $31,500 |
| Idaho | $31,440 |
| Montana | $31,420 |
| Missouri | $30,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,150 |
| Indiana | $30,090 |
| South Carolina | $30,050 |
| Iowa | $29,840 |
| South Dakota | $29,820 |
| Kansas | $29,410 |
| North Carolina | $29,410 |
| New Mexico | $29,350 |
| Tennessee | $28,980 |
| Texas | $28,660 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,110 |
| West Virginia | $27,610 |
| Arkansas | $27,330 |
| Oklahoma | $26,450 |
| Alabama | $25,510 |
| Kentucky | $24,520 |
| Mississippi | $23,190 |
| Louisiana | $22,900 |
| Guam | $21,990 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,640 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $34,220 |
| 2023 | $32,420 |
| 2022 | $29,790 |
| 2021 | $28,780 |
| 2020 | $26,070 |
| 2019 | $24,800 |