A Food Preparer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Food Preparer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Food Preparers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $36,143.
California: $36,005.
Massachusetts: $35,526.
District of Columbia$36,143
California$36,005
Massachusetts$35,526
Washington$35,395
New Jersey$35,382
Alaska$35,336
Connecticut$34,886
New York$34,703
Hawaii$34,119
Rhode Island$33,844
Maryland$33,658
Minnesota$33,404
Colorado$33,306
Illinois$33,273
Oregon$33,149
Delaware$33,058
New Hampshire$33,000
Virginia$32,872
Pennsylvania$32,496
Nevada$32,307
North Dakota$32,245
Michigan$32,147
Wisconsin$32,111
Vermont$32,039
Texas$31,840
Maine$31,827
Arizona$31,808
Ohio$31,785
Georgia$31,484
Indiana$31,334
Wyoming$31,305
Utah$31,259
Iowa$31,240
Kansas$31,083
Louisiana$31,037
North Carolina$31,021
Missouri$31,014
Florida$30,887
Montana$30,818
Nebraska$30,753
Kentucky$30,717
South Carolina$30,587
Tennessee$30,505
Idaho$30,472
New Mexico$30,234
Oklahoma$30,182
Alabama$29,989
South Dakota$29,666
Arkansas$29,490
West Virginia$29,395
Mississippi$29,111
Top Paying Cities for Food Preparers
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $41,173
San Francisco: $40,722
Oakland: $39,864
San Jose, CA$41,173
San Francisco, CA$40,722
Oakland, CA$39,864
New York, NY$37,585
Paramus, NJ$37,128
Queens Village, NY$37,126
Passaic, NJ$37,095
Bergenfield, NJ$37,092
Stamford, CT$37,021
Huntington, NY$37,007
Newark, NJ$36,766
Bridgeport, CT$36,697
Vallejo, CA$36,632
New Brunswick, NJ$36,619
Petaluma, CA$36,600
Middlesex, NJ$36,538
Somerset, NJ$36,515
Santa Cruz, CA$36,472
Boston, MA$36,273
Monterey, CA$36,159
Seattle, WA$36,084
Santa Rosa, CA$36,077
Los Angeles, CA$36,067
Juneau, AK$35,983
Washington, DC$35,947
Orange, CA$35,830
Santa Ana, CA$35,744
Long Beach, CA$35,712
Anaheim, CA$35,705
Anchorage, AK$35,689
Santa Maria, CA$35,591
Everett, WA$35,584
Danbury, CT$35,469
Bremerton, WA$35,424
Tacoma, WA$35,307
New Suffolk, NY$35,306
Sacramento, CA$35,297
Santa Barbara, CA$35,261
Trenton, NJ$35,225
San Diego, CA$35,225
Brockton, MA$35,189
Fairbanks, AK$35,109
Lompoc, CA$35,026
Lowell, MA$35,000
Ventura, CA$34,994
Nashua, NH$34,987
Stockton, CA$34,984
Modesto, CA$34,745
Poughkeepsie, NY$34,674
Olympia, WA$34,612
Kennewick, WA$34,612
New Haven, CT$34,599
Lawrence, MA$34,481
Hartford, CT$34,448
Riverside, CA$34,442
New Bedford, MA$34,409
Richland, WA$34,409
Bakersfield, CA$34,363
San Bernardino, CA$34,350
New Britain, CT$34,347
Atlantic City, NJ$34,347
New London, CT$34,334
Norwich, CT$34,324
Portsmouth, NH$34,318
Boulder, CO$34,249
Portland, OR$34,204
Worcester, MA$34,200
Minneapolis, MN$34,099
Philadelphia, PA$34,053
Honolulu, HI$33,946
Saint Paul, MN$33,930
Vineland, NJ$33,923
Providence, RI$33,828
Chicago, IL$33,733
Bellingham, WA$33,694
Springfield, MA$33,668
Baltimore, MD$33,658
Chico, CA$33,577
Pittsfield, MA$33,489
Manchester, NH$33,427
Spokane, WA$33,283
Denver, CO$33,280
Albany, NY$33,126
Troy, NY$33,113
Nassau, NY$33,078
Schenectady, NY$33,045
Wilmington, DE$33,019
Burlington, VT$32,973
Salem, OR$32,960
Portland, ME$32,859
Yakima, WA$32,826
Rochester, MN$32,725
Reno, NV$32,708
Fresno, CA$32,708
Milwaukee, WI$32,679
Detroit, MI$32,646
Ann Arbor, MI$32,641
Allentown, PA$32,637
Colorado Springs, CO$32,581
Syracuse, NY$32,565
Carson City, NV$32,565
Houston, TX$32,519
Eugene, OR$32,503
Gary, IN$32,464
Springfield, OR$32,438
Bismarck, ND$32,431
Galveston, TX$32,408
Medford, OR$32,359
Fort Collins, CO$32,346
Concord, NH$32,330
Austin, TX$32,320
Mesa, AZ$32,251
Reading, PA$32,248
Phoenix, AZ$32,245
Dallas, TX$32,235
Saint Cloud, MN$32,204
Madison, WI$32,160
Utica, NY$32,072
Rochester, NY$32,020
Des Moines, IA$32,016
Raleigh, NC$32,013
Atlanta, GA$31,964
Battle Creek, MI$31,954
Salt Lake City, UT$31,945
Lancaster, PA$31,896
Harrisburg, PA$31,850
Kansas City, MO$31,817
Champaign, IL$31,811
Kansas City, KS$31,811
Fort Worth, TX$31,808
Columbus, OH$31,802
Boca Raton, FL$31,794
Pittsburgh, PA$31,781
Richmond, VA$31,768
Indianapolis, IN$31,762
Cleveland, OH$31,759
Las Vegas, NV$31,719
Cincinnati, OH$31,719
Petersburg, VA$31,670
Huntsville, AL$31,621
Lansing, MI$31,600
Lebanon, PA$31,595
Pueblo, CO$31,592
Appleton, WI$31,582
Buffalo, NY$31,569
Dayton, OH$31,559
Racine, WI$31,553
Charlotte, NC$31,550
Saint Louis, MO$31,540
York, PA$31,520
Elkhart, IN$31,520
Gastonia, NC$31,514
Billings, MT$31,506
Beaumont, TX$31,497
Lorain, OH$31,491
Benton Harbor, MI$31,484
Toledo, OH$31,478
Binghamton, NY$31,462
Rock Hill, SC$31,458
Rockford, IL$31,442
Springfield, IL$31,429
Elyria, OH$31,426
Fargo, ND$31,426
Flagstaff, AZ$31,403
Fort Lauderdale, FL$31,383
Duluth, MN$31,364
Miami, FL$31,364
Cheyenne, WY$31,341
Grand Forks, ND$31,341
Bangor, ME$31,269
Cedar Rapids, IA$31,233
Durham, NC$31,219
Louisville, KY$31,217
Grand Rapids, MI$31,210
Hialeah, FL$31,207
Casper, WY$31,161
Scranton, PA$31,122
New Orleans, LA$31,112
Virginia Beach, VA$31,109
Akron, OH$31,093
Peoria, IL$31,050
Sarasota, FL$31,044
Nashville, TN$31,021
Omaha, NE$31,021
Green Bay, WI$31,021
Baton Rouge, LA$31,005
Charleston, SC$30,998
Jamestown, NY$30,982
Davenport, IA$30,982
Tucson, AZ$30,965
Saint Petersburg, FL$30,946
Tampa, FL$30,939
Evansville, IN$30,920
Port Arthur, TX$30,920
Bradenton, FL$30,907
Santa Fe, NM$30,848
Orlando, FL$30,789
Clearwater, FL$30,779
Canton, OH$30,711
La Crosse, WI$30,711
Albuquerque, NM$30,691
Newport News, VA$30,688
High Point, NC$30,678
Ogden, UT$30,665
Corpus Christi, TX$30,639
Norfolk, VA$30,619
Laramie, WY$30,619
Rock Island, IL$30,600
Saginaw, MI$30,593
Jacksonville, FL$30,590
Salisbury, NC$30,583
Boise, ID$30,577
Moline, IL$30,561
Fort Myers, FL$30,551
Memphis, TN$30,544
Tulsa, OK$30,528
Waterloo, IA$30,508
Spartanburg, SC$30,476
Lincoln, NE$30,459
Fort Wayne, IN$30,453
Provo, UT$30,450
Cedar Falls, IA$30,410
San Antonio, TX$30,397
Greensboro, NC$30,384
South Bend, IN$30,381
Savannah, GA$30,345
Muskegon, MI$30,332
Birmingham, AL$30,329
Winston Salem, NC$30,313
Lake Charles, LA$30,234
Anderson, IN$30,228
Lexington, KY$30,218
Augusta, GA$30,208
Greenville, SC$30,208
Lima, OH$30,182
Wichita, KS$30,179
Tuscaloosa, AL$30,179
Columbia, SC$30,149
Springfield, OH$30,143
Asheville, NC$30,091
Bloomington, IN$30,068
Knoxville, TN$29,950
Shreveport, LA$29,947
Wilmington, NC$29,904
Roanoke, VA$29,904
Topeka, KS$29,846
Frankfort, KY$29,842
Oklahoma City, OK$29,820
Chillicothe, OH$29,807
Longview, TX$29,803
Melbourne, FL$29,800
Sioux Falls, SD$29,748
Mobile, AL$29,744
Terre Haute, IN$29,731
Altoona, PA$29,712
Amarillo, TX$29,689
Killeen, TX$29,679
Fayetteville, AR$29,653
Chattanooga, TN$29,643
Sioux City, IA$29,614
Idaho Falls, ID$29,607
Lynchburg, VA$29,581
Gainesville, FL$29,539
Portsmouth, OH$29,523
Little Rock, AR$29,516
Lafayette, LA$29,503
Youngstown, OH$29,503
Daytona Beach, FL$29,483
Clarksville, TN$29,480
Pensacola, FL$29,477
Temple, TX$29,475
Hopkinsville, KY$29,379
Erie, PA$29,372
Florence, SC$29,359
Charleston, WV$29,307
Great Falls, MT$29,291
Macon, GA$29,245
Tallahassee, FL$29,242
Fayetteville, NC$29,235
Waco, TX$29,229
Helena, MT$29,206
Pine Bluff, AR$29,193
Vincennes, IN$29,154
Lubbock, TX$29,141
Alamogordo, NM$29,121
Twin Falls, ID$29,092
Rapid City, SD$29,082
Jackson, MS$29,023
Huntington, WV$29,021
Greenville, MS$29,020
Parkersburg, WV$28,987
Montgomery, AL$28,981
Wichita Falls, TX$28,948
Springfield, MO$28,948
Biloxi, MS$28,932
Monroe, LA$28,899
Johnstown, PA$28,876
Sumter, SC$28,863
Columbus, GA$28,860
Pascagoula, MS$28,798
Abilene, TX$28,798
Kingsport, TN$28,713
Albany, GA$28,713
Gulfport, MS$28,703
Alexandria, LA$28,595
Fort Smith, AR$28,514
El Paso, TX$28,426
Las Cruces, NM$28,279
Harlingen, TX$28,196
Pocatello, ID$28,191
Florence, AL$28,148
Brownsville, TX$28,142
Mcallen, TX$28,073
Dothan, AL$28,027
Columbus, MS$27,834
Altus, OK$27,681
Lawton, OK$27,619
Pierre, SD$27,502
What Skills Can Increase a Food Preparer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 14.61% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Foodservice (Mentioned in 2.87% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
Catering (Mentioned in 1.44% Job Postings): Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Food Preparer's salary.
Generosity: Can increase your salary by up to 38%.
WFM: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Food Preparer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Food Preparer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 32% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 18% above the average.
In contrast, Food Preparer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Food Preparer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Food Preparer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$38,519
$19.0
18%
Pharmaceuticals
$37,540
$18.0
15%
Biotechnology
$36,560
$18.0
12%
Energy & Utilities
$35,908
$17.0
10%
Aerospace & Defense
$35,255
$17.0
8%
How Education impacts a Food Preparer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Food Preparers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Food Preparer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$32,120
and $34,508).
Food Preparer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Food Preparer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$30,068
Average$32,643/year
$34,982
$2,506
Average$2,720/month
$2,915
$578
Average$628/week
$673
$14
Average$16/hour
$17
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$34,982
$2,915
$673
$17
Average
$32,643
$2,720
$628
$16
25th Percentile
$30,068
$2,506
$578
$14
Salaries of Jobs related to Food Preparer
Seasonal Tax Preparer$86,080
Legal Document Preparer$70,174
Accountant (Tax Preparer)$69,056
Tax Preparer Assistant$67,026
Tax Preparer$66,744
Income Tax Preparer$66,043
Entry Level Tax Preparer$65,810
Tax Return Preparer$64,631
Certified Tax Preparer$60,443
Remote Tax Preparer$47,995
Medical Equipment Preparer$34,898
Salary Trends for Food Preparer
Salaries for a Food Preparer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $30,911 in 2023
to around $30,405 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Food Preparer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Food Preparer Over Time
$???
$30,911
$30,761
$30,405
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$30,911
2024
$30,761
2025
$30,405
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Food Preparer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Food Preparer
Here are companies hiring for Food Preparer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Food Preparer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Food Preparer?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Food Preparer roles,
with salaries approximately 18% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
