Average Food Preparation Workers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Food Preparation Workers is $35,320 per year. The middle 50% earn between $29,950 and $38,550, with 893,600 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 393 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Food Preparation Workers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $25,810
- 25th
- $29,950
- Median
- $35,320
- 75th
- $38,550
- 90th
- $45,340
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This is a lower-wage occupation relative to the US labor market. Pay is below the national median for all workers.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most food preparation workers earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for food preparation workers from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -3.4%
- -30,900 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 148,000
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Food Preparation Workers earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is Washington at $40,910, about 15.8% above the national median. At the metro level, Kahului-Wailuku, HI leads with a median of $46,680.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40,910 | 19,510 |
| District of Columbia | $39,600 | 3,970 |
| California | $39,350 | 112,750 |
| Colorado | $38,960 | 12,080 |
| Massachusetts | $38,900 | 13,620 |
| Hawaii | $38,160 | 5,950 |
| Oregon | $37,450 | 11,860 |
| North Dakota | $36,800 | 980 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $46,680 | 720 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45,580 | 5,930 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $43,830 | 11,060 |
| Napa, CA | $42,810 | 620 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $42,640 | 1,410 |
| Yakima, WA | $41,750 | 600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $41,000 | 14,470 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $40,140 | 510 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see food preparation workers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Food Preparation Workers rose from $24,800 to $35,320, a gain of +42.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $24,800 would need to be worth $31,230 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $35,320 is $4,090 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +13.1% in purchasing power.
Real wages have grown strongly, 13.1% above inflation. Workers in this field have meaningfully gained purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +42.4%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +13.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Food Preparation Workers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $35,320
- 2024
- $34,220
- 2023
- $32,420
- 2022
- $29,790
- 2021
- $28,780
- 2020
- $26,070
- 2019
- $24,800
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Cooks, Short Order
- $35,880
- Cooks, Restaurant
- $37,390
- Cooks, Institution And Cafeteria
- $37,450
- Cooks, All Other
- $37,690
- Cooks, Fast Food
- $30,890
- Cooks, Private Household
- $47,940
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
- $35,360
- Waiters And Waitresses
- $35,230
Common salary questions for Food Preparation Workers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Food Preparation Workers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.