Average Food Preparation Workers Salary in West Virginia
Food Preparation Workers in West Virginia earn a median annual salary of $27,610, which is -19.3% compared to the national median. There are 2,830 workers employed locally in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates for West Virginia (state).
Pay distribution
Local wage range
- 10th
- $21,440
- 25th
- $23,090
- Median
- $27,610
- 75th
- $30,660
- 90th
- $36,170
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This local range is the useful part of the page. The median tells you the center of the market in West Virginia, while the percentile band shows how compressed or wide the local pay distribution actually is.
Regional price parity
Cost-of-living context
Services: 92.2%
Rents: 54.2%
Comparison links
Comparable states for this occupation
| State | Median annual wage | Compare | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $38,950 | Compare | 21,090 |
| Colorado | $38,670 | Compare | 11,290 |
| District of Columbia | $38,440 | Compare | 3,320 |
| California | $38,150 | Compare | 98,950 |
| Massachusetts | $37,780 | Compare | 14,890 |
| Hawaii | $37,240 | Compare | 4,780 |
The point of this table is not random nearby places. It is to show the other labor markets where this same occupation looks stronger or weaker on the same OEWS release.
Area context
Top occupations in West Virginia
| Occupation | Median annual wage | LQ |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,960 | 1.79 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $231,860 | 1.46 |
| Physicians, All Other | $228,680 | 1.60 |
| Dermatologists | $215,740 | 1.37 |
| Chief Executives | $181,930 | 1.44 |
| Pediatricians, General | $181,410 | 0.38 |
| Computer And Information Research Scientists | $170,750 | 0.28 |
| Anesthesiologists | $168,390 | 0.83 |
West Virginia has salary data for 642 occupations. The highest-paid occupation in this area is General Internal Medicine Physicians.
Historical series
Trend for Food Preparation Workers in West Virginia
Historical trend data is not yet available for this occupation in this area.
Interpretation
Outlook and page notes
Nationally, Food Preparation Workers are projected to change by -3.4% from 2024 to 2034, with 148,000 annual openings.
Use this page to answer three separate questions: what the occupation pays here, how large the local market is, and whether this market is unusually concentrated for the occupation.
For metro pages in particular, read long-term trend rows as directional until the area comparability layer is fully wired. OEWS area definitions can change over time, and that matters more at the metro level than at the state level.