State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Food Preparation Worker Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Food Preparation Workers is $35,320 a year ($16.98/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 3.4% through 2034, with about 148,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 35-2021Food Preparation and Serving RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $35,320
- Projected growth
- -3.4%
- Openings a year
- 148,000
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Cook, Cook Aide, Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk), Diet Aide, Dietary Aide, Food Prep (Food Preparer).
How much do Food Preparation Workers make?
10th percentile$25,810
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$29,950
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$35,320
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$38,550
Upper quartile
90th percentile$45,340
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $35,320 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $16.98/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $35,290 |
| People employed | 893,600 |
Versus all US occupations
At $35,320, Food Preparation Workers earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,660 a year.
Versus food preparation and serving related occupations
The median is typical for the Food Preparation and Serving Related group, where the middle occupation pays $35,275.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $45,340 or more while the bottom 10% earn $25,810, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 3% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($40,910), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $41,367 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Food Preparation Workers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40,910 | $38,229 | 19,510 |
| District of Columbia | $39,600 | $36,032 | 3,970 |
| California | $39,350 | $35,540 | 112,750 |
| Colorado | $38,960 | $37,806 | 12,080 |
| Massachusetts | $38,900 | $36,782 | 13,620 |
| Hawaii | $38,160 | $34,706 | 5,950 |
| Oregon | $37,450 | $36,232 | 11,860 |
| North Dakota | $36,800 | $41,367 | 980 |
| New Hampshire | $36,780 | $35,309 | 3,420 |
| Arizona | $36,750 | $36,503 | 16,590 |
Is Food Preparation Worker a growing career?
Food Preparation Workers-3.4%
All US occupations3.1%
-3.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Food Preparation Workers to change -3.4% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 30,900 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 148,000 openings are projected each year, 16.4% of the 902,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Restaurants and cafeterias may customize their food orders from wholesalers and distributors in an effort to lower costs. For example, they may order prewashed, precut, or preseasoned ingredients, which is expected to reduce the need for food preparation workers. Additionally, some establishments prefer to employ fast food and counter workers, who both prepare and serve food to customers, which also may reduce the need for food preparation workers.
How to become a Food Preparation Worker
Food preparation workers typically do not need a formal educational credential or previous work experience to enter the occupation. They learn their job tasks through on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as food preparation workers.
- High School Diploma69.5%
- Some College Courses22.4%
- Doctoral Degree4.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma2.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate1.2%
What does a Food Preparation Worker do?
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking. Their duties include preparing cold foods, slicing meat, peeling and cutting vegetables, brewing coffee or tea, and doing many other food service tasks.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
- 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.
- Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
- Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
- Weigh or measure ingredients.
- Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where food preparation workers work
| Food services and drinking places | 55% |
|---|---|
| Grocery and specialty food retailers | 21% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 6% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 4% |
| General merchandise retailers | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking2.9/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Reading Comprehension2.6/5
- Monitoring2.5/5
- Mathematics2.0/5
- Active Learning2.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.0/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.1/5
- Persuasion2.0/5
- Instructing2.0/5
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Video creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Food Preparation Worker?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.4
Investigative1.4
Artistic1.9
Social2.7
Enterprising2.2
Conventionalprimary4.2
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Food Preparation Worker: frequently asked questions
How much do Food Preparation Workers make?
Food Preparation Workers earn a median of $35,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $16.98/hr. The middle half earn between $29,950 and $38,550. The top 10% earn $45,340 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Food Preparation Worker?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Food Preparation Workers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 69.5% hold high school diploma.
Is Food Preparation Worker a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.4% over 2024–2034, a loss of 30,900 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 148,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Food Preparation Worker do?
Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking. A core O*NET task: clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Food Preparation Workers the most?
The highest state medians for Food Preparation Workers are Washington ($40,910), District of Columbia ($39,600), California ($39,350) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $41,367.
What personality type suits a Food Preparation Worker?
O*NET scores Food Preparation Workers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.