Food Preparation Workers Salary in Iowa

State wage data from the BLS OEWS survey, May 2025.

Median annual

$30,360

Median hourly

$15

Average annual

$32,080

Employed in state

4.2K

The median annual salary for Food Preparation Workers in Iowa is $30,360, or about $15 an hour. That is 14% lower than the national median.

Pay in Iowa ranges from $23,760 at the 10th percentile to $40,250 at the 90th percentile. Roughly 4.2K people work as food preparation workers in the state.

Pay distribution in Iowa

10th$23,760

25th$28,260

Median$30,360

75th$36,200

90th$40,250

Salary calculator

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $14.60
Daily: $117
Weekly: $584
Bi-weekly: $1,168
Monthly: $2,530
Annual: $30,360

$30,360 a year is around the 50th percentile for Food Preparation Workerss in Iowa. The median is $30,360.

Food Preparation Workers — Iowa
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$11.40	$23,760
25th percentile	$13.60	$28,260
Median	$14.60	$30,360
75th percentile	$17.40	$36,200
90th percentile	$19.40	$40,250
Average (mean)	$15.40	$32,080
Employment	4,170 people

Food Preparation Workers pay by metro area in Iowa

Metro area	Median annual	Employment
Omaha, NE-IA	$36,140	3.7K
Iowa City, IA	$35,120	270
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$33,120	770
Dubuque, IA	$32,520	150
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	$32,050	170
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD	$31,330	280
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$31,200	620
Cedar Rapids, IA	$30,940	340
Ames, IA	$29,900	140

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