Food Preparation Workers Wages
SOC 35-2021 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers is $32,420 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $22,970 and the 90th percentile is $42,990, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
879,610
P10
$22,970
P25
$27,920
Median
$32,420
P75
$36,780
P90
$42,990
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Food Preparation Workers have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $32,420 | $32,960 | $22,970 | $42,990 | 879,610 | — |
| 2022 | $29,790 | $30,720 | $21,770 | $38,780 | 904,330 | -8.11% |
| 2021 | $28,780 | $28,810 | $19,520 | $38,060 | 783,350 | -3.39% |
| 2020 | $26,070 | $26,820 | $18,460 | $37,000 | 793,590 | -9.42% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Food Preparation Workers. The highest median is in Washington at $40,390, 25% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40,390 | +24.6% | $41,990 | 17,450 |
| District of Columbia | $37,630 | +16.1% | $39,540 | 3,960 |
| Colorado | $37,470 | +15.6% | $38,730 | 13,050 |
| California | $37,130 | +14.5% | $39,170 | 107,870 |
| New York | $36,540 | +12.7% | $38,300 | 51,920 |
| Massachusetts | $36,520 | +12.6% | $39,010 | 15,230 |
| Alaska | $36,360 | +12.2% | $36,530 | 2,840 |
| Hawaii | $36,360 | +12.2% | $38,420 | 4,130 |
| Oregon | $35,850 | +10.6% | $36,190 | 8,740 |
| Vermont | $34,750 | +7.2% | $36,780 | 1,340 |
| Connecticut | $34,690 | +7% | $36,930 | 10,740 |
| New Jersey | $34,670 | +6.9% | $36,190 | 25,920 |
| New Hampshire | $34,420 | +6.2% | $34,000 | 3,250 |
| North Dakota | $34,390 | +6.1% | $35,190 | 620 |
| Nevada | $34,210 | +5.5% | $34,950 | 10,900 |
| Maine | $34,020 | +4.9% | $34,640 | 6,690 |
| Minnesota | $33,810 | +4.3% | $34,510 | 18,860 |
| Arizona | $33,680 | +3.9% | $34,740 | 14,120 |
| Maryland | $33,220 | +2.5% | $34,250 | 12,450 |
| Florida | $31,950 | -1.4% | $32,760 | 70,830 |
| Michigan | $31,920 | -1.5% | $32,620 | 13,030 |
| Illinois | $31,660 | -2.3% | $34,010 | 39,660 |
| Utah | $31,590 | -2.6% | $32,870 | 7,190 |
| Wyoming | $31,140 | -3.9% | $32,330 | 1,820 |
| Rhode Island | $30,700 | -5.3% | $33,430 | 3,140 |
| Delaware | $30,080 | -7.2% | $32,370 | 1,870 |
| Wisconsin | $30,080 | -7.2% | $31,200 | 20,180 |
| Indiana | $30,030 | -7.4% | $30,870 | 15,460 |
| Georgia | $29,720 | -8.3% | $30,310 | 28,550 |
| Nebraska | $29,690 | -8.4% | $30,540 | 6,910 |
| Montana | $29,550 | -8.9% | $30,820 | 2,330 |
| Virginia | $29,280 | -9.7% | $31,360 | 18,260 |
| Ohio | $29,040 | -10.4% | $30,210 | 23,540 |
| Idaho | $28,970 | -10.6% | $29,050 | 4,590 |
| Texas | $28,890 | -10.9% | $29,820 | 92,020 |
| Arkansas | $28,850 | -11% | $29,780 | 4,530 |
| Kansas | $28,790 | -11.2% | $29,710 | 7,760 |
| Iowa | $28,700 | -11.5% | $28,740 | 5,490 |
| Missouri | $28,670 | -11.6% | $30,460 | 17,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,640 | -11.7% | $29,300 | 22,030 |
| South Carolina | $28,320 | -12.6% | $28,760 | 16,930 |
| South Dakota | $28,260 | -12.8% | $29,400 | 2,990 |
| Oklahoma | $28,110 | -13.3% | $27,910 | 6,790 |
| North Carolina | $27,820 | -14.2% | $27,770 | 25,240 |
| Kentucky | $27,630 | -14.8% | $27,360 | 9,720 |
| West Virginia | $27,510 | -15.1% | $27,750 | 2,980 |
| New Mexico | $27,300 | -15.8% | $29,470 | 6,110 |
| Tennessee | $27,090 | -16.4% | $28,350 | 21,220 |
| Alabama | $23,880 | -26.3% | $25,810 | 16,310 |
| Mississippi | $23,720 | -26.8% | $25,380 | 5,800 |
| Louisiana | $22,390 | -30.9% | $23,620 | 29,250 |