Food Preparation Workerssalary
Official wage statistics for food preparation workers in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 893.6K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $25,810 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $29,950 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $35,320 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $38,550 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $45,340 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $35,290 |
Salary by state
Food Preparation Workers wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAWashington | $40,910 | $34,890 – $51,730 | 19,510 |
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $39,600 | $37,510 – $45,370 | 3,970 |
| CACalifornia | $39,350 | $35,190 – $48,470 | 112,750 |
| COColorado | $38,960 | $30,800 – $49,000 | 12,080 |
| MAMassachusetts | $38,900 | $34,280 – $48,420 | 13,620 |
| HIHawaii | $38,160 | $29,950 – $57,720 | 5,950 |
| OROregon | $37,450 | $31,560 – $48,580 | 11,860 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $36,800 | $28,400 – $43,840 | 980 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $36,780 | $26,830 – $45,980 | 3,420 |
| AZArizona | $36,750 | $31,300 – $44,640 | 16,590 |
| CTConnecticut | $36,650 | $34,010 – $47,790 | 12,250 |
| VTVermont | $36,550 | $31,840 – $49,020 | 1,350 |
| WYWyoming | $36,110 | $22,880 – $46,590 | 1,620 |
| MEMaine | $36,030 | $31,150 – $46,400 | 4,560 |
| DEDelaware | $35,930 | $31,200 – $43,070 | 2,400 |
| FLFlorida | $35,920 | $28,190 – $43,300 | 73,100 |
| AKAlaska | $35,720 | $30,350 – $46,440 | 2,800 |
| NYNew York | $35,610 | $33,280 – $46,800 | 62,380 |
| NJNew Jersey | $35,540 | $32,220 – $46,070 | 24,730 |
| MDMaryland | $35,500 | $31,290 – $45,890 | 13,280 |
| RIRhode Island | $35,470 | $31,200 – $45,220 | 2,830 |
| GAGeorgia | $35,250 | $24,840 – $40,390 | 26,450 |
| NENebraska | $35,210 | $28,740 – $42,560 | 6,890 |
| VAVirginia | $34,900 | $28,460 – $42,480 | 16,340 |
| ILIllinois | $34,850 | $31,200 – $44,990 | 34,820 |
| MNMinnesota | $34,850 | $29,150 – $45,790 | 24,620 |
| OHOhio | $34,530 | $26,640 – $44,500 | 19,480 |
| WIWisconsin | $34,070 | $26,080 – $44,290 | 17,990 |
| MTMontana | $33,860 | $26,000 – $43,410 | 2,990 |
| UTUtah | $33,540 | $26,740 – $45,290 | 10,530 |
| NVNevada | $33,460 | $26,140 – $50,600 | 11,420 |
| NMNew Mexico | $33,370 | $27,290 – $38,200 | 6,850 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $32,180 | $22,990 – $40,370 | 14,460 |
| IDIdaho | $31,510 | $22,150 – $40,260 | 4,670 |
| MOMissouri | $31,510 | $28,600 – $44,440 | 13,650 |
| MIMichigan | $31,180 | $26,540 – $38,620 | 17,380 |
| PAPennsylvania | $30,840 | $22,360 – $39,600 | 17,940 |
| TXTexas | $30,650 | $22,790 – $42,450 | 81,280 |
| VIVirgin Islands | $30,460 | $27,150 – $31,960 | 390 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $30,430 | $26,510 – $38,580 | 3,270 |
| IAIowa | $30,360 | $23,760 – $40,250 | 4,170 |
| KSKansas | $30,280 | $22,880 – $39,220 | 7,680 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $30,260 | $21,870 – $38,760 | 24,960 |
| INIndiana | $29,700 | $23,170 – $39,050 | 16,200 |
| TNTennessee | $28,700 | $22,290 – $39,660 | 19,780 |
| OKOklahoma | $28,540 | $20,800 – $35,980 | 7,430 |
| WVWest Virginia | $28,360 | $21,570 – $35,890 | 2,960 |
| ALAlabama | $27,930 | $20,820 – $37,580 | 17,680 |
| ARArkansas | $27,660 | $24,020 – $36,260 | 5,500 |
| KYKentucky | $26,850 | $20,900 – $37,830 | 15,390 |
| MSMississippi | $26,240 | $18,790 – $36,100 | 7,870 |
| LALouisiana | $23,620 | $17,970 – $34,190 | 30,920 |
| PRPuerto Rico | $22,400 | $21,840 – $27,550 | 4,130 |
| GUGuam | $21,820 | $20,700 – $25,580 | 530 |
Frequently asked
The median food preparation workers in United States earns $35,320 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $25,810 (10th percentile or low) to $45,340 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 35-2021). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 893,600 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 32,109 · GBP 27,811 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $35,320. FX conversion is informational only.