Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · 894K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$35,320
Median hourly
$17
Average annual
$35,290
Typical range
$25,810–$45,340
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Food Preparation Workers is $35,320 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $17 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea..
Most earn between $25,810 and $45,340 a year. There are roughly 894K people employed as food preparation workers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Food Preparation Workers.
- Hourly
- $16.98
- Daily
- $136
- Weekly
- $679
- Bi-weekly
- $1,358
- Monthly
- $2,943
- Annual
- $35,320
$35,320 a year is around the 50th percentile for Food Preparation Workerss. The median is $35,320.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$40,910
- 2District of Columbia$39,600
- 3California$39,350
- 4Colorado$38,960
- 5Massachusetts$38,900
- 6Hawaii$38,160
- 7Oregon$37,450
- 8North Dakota$36,800
- 9New Hampshire$36,780
- 10Arizona$36,750
- 11Connecticut$36,650
- 12Vermont$36,550
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Kahului-Wailuku, HI$46,680
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$45,580
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$43,830
- 4Napa, CA$42,810
- 5Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$42,640
- 6Yakima, WA$41,750
- 7San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$41,000
- 8Amherst Town-Northampton, MA$40,140
- 9Walla Walla, WA$40,030
- 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$39,770
- 11Boulder, CO$39,690
- 12Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$39,660
Related job titles
Employers advertise Food Preparation Workers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
What a Food Preparation Workers does
- Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
- Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
- Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
- Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
- Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
- Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
- Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
- Weigh or measure ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Food Preparation Workers make?
- The median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers is $35,320 ($17 per hour). Pay ranges from about $25,810 at the 10th percentile to $45,340 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Food Preparation Workers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $35,290, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Food Preparation Workerss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $40,910.
- Is Food Preparation Workers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 894K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Food Preparation Workers do?
- Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.; Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.; Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers..