Sort by any column. Employment is the number of food preparation workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Food Preparation Worker Salary by State (2026)
Food Preparation Workers earn the most in Washington at $40,910 a year and the least in Guam at $21,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,320. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $40,910
- National median
- $35,320
- Lowest median
- $21,820
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Guam
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Food Preparation Workers
- 1. Washington$40,910 median · $38,229 adjusted · 19,510 employed
- 2. District of Columbia$39,600 median · $36,032 adjusted · 3,970 employed
- 3. California$39,350 median · $35,540 adjusted · 112,750 employed
- 4. Colorado$38,960 median · $37,806 adjusted · 12,080 employed
- 5. Massachusetts$38,900 median · $36,782 adjusted · 13,620 employed
Lowest-paying states for Food Preparation Workers
- 54. Guam$21,820 median · no price parity · 530 employed
- 53. Puerto Rico$22,400 median · no price parity · 4,130 employed
- 52. Louisiana$23,620 median · $26,778 adjusted · 30,920 employed
- 51. Mississippi$26,240 median · $30,177 adjusted · 7,870 employed
- 50. Kentucky$26,850 median · $29,781 adjusted · 15,390 employed
Food Preparation Worker salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $40,910 | $35,880 | $47,390 | 19,510 | $38,229 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $39,600 | $38,070 | $44,040 | 3,970 | $36,032 |
| 3 | California | $39,350 | $37,010 | $44,540 | 112,750 | $35,540 |
| 4 | Colorado | $38,960 | $34,690 | $44,740 | 12,080 | $37,806 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $38,900 | $36,060 | $44,580 | 13,620 | $36,782 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $38,160 | $33,310 | $46,920 | 5,950 | $34,706 |
| 7 | Oregon | $37,450 | $35,100 | $42,860 | 11,860 | $36,232 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $36,800 | $31,510 | $38,430 | 980 | $41,367 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $36,780 | $31,000 | $39,330 | 3,420 | $35,309 |
| 10 | Arizona | $36,750 | $34,220 | $39,160 | 16,590 | $36,503 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $36,650 | $35,340 | $40,210 | 12,250 | $35,373 |
| 12 | Vermont | $36,550 | $35,220 | $42,920 | 1,350 | $37,312 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $36,110 | $30,920 | $39,610 | 1,620 | $38,957 |
| 14 | Maine | $36,030 | $33,760 | $39,060 | 4,560 | $37,125 |
| 15 | Delaware | $35,930 | $31,860 | $38,140 | 2,400 | $35,999 |
| 16 | Florida | $35,920 | $30,420 | $37,440 | 73,100 | $34,734 |
| 17 | Alaska | $35,720 | $34,000 | $38,610 | 2,800 | $34,897 |
| 18 | New York | $35,610 | $34,320 | $40,250 | 62,380 | $32,996 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $35,540 | $33,530 | $38,470 | 24,730 | $32,664 |
| 20 | Maryland | $35,500 | $33,020 | $38,470 | 13,280 | $33,823 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $35,470 | $32,200 | $42,030 | 2,830 | $34,679 |
| 22 | Georgia | $35,250 | $29,610 | $37,700 | 26,450 | $36,607 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $35,210 | $29,870 | $37,440 | 6,890 | $39,078 |
| 24 | Virginia | $34,900 | $30,940 | $37,310 | 16,340 | $34,519 |
| 25 | Illinois | $34,850 | $31,200 | $37,880 | 34,820 | $34,865 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $34,850 | $30,550 | $38,240 | 24,620 | $35,337 |
| 27 | Ohio | $34,530 | $28,930 | $38,070 | 19,480 | $37,219 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $34,070 | $28,870 | $37,940 | 17,990 | $36,208 |
| 29 | Montana | $33,860 | $28,710 | $37,110 | 2,990 | $35,776 |
| 30 | Utah | $33,540 | $29,770 | $38,400 | 10,530 | $33,925 |
| 31 | Nevada | $33,460 | $28,870 | $40,920 | 11,420 | $33,467 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $33,370 | $28,590 | $35,840 | 6,850 | $36,188 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $32,180 | $27,860 | $36,970 | 14,460 | $34,326 |
| 34 | Idaho | $31,510 | $27,530 | $36,850 | 4,670 | $32,997 |
| 35 | Missouri | $31,510 | $29,220 | $37,050 | 13,650 | $34,696 |
| 36 | Michigan | $31,180 | $27,690 | $35,910 | 17,380 | $32,406 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $30,840 | $27,830 | $36,080 | 17,940 | $31,607 |
| 38 | Texas | $30,650 | $27,110 | $37,050 | 81,280 | $31,579 |
| 39 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $30,460 | $28,540 | $31,220 | 390 | N/A |
| 40 | South Dakota | $30,430 | $28,170 | $34,140 | 3,270 | $34,351 |
| 41 | Iowa | $30,360 | $28,260 | $36,200 | 4,170 | $34,594 |
| 42 | Kansas | $30,280 | $27,700 | $35,290 | 7,680 | $33,619 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $30,260 | $26,610 | $36,120 | 24,960 | $32,080 |
| 44 | Indiana | $29,700 | $27,550 | $35,930 | 16,200 | $31,823 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $28,700 | $24,350 | $35,820 | 19,780 | $31,240 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $28,540 | $22,870 | $33,960 | 7,430 | $32,490 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $28,360 | $23,280 | $31,380 | 2,960 | $31,688 |
| 48 | Alabama | $27,930 | $22,000 | $34,490 | 17,680 | $31,445 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $27,660 | $25,900 | $32,390 | 5,500 | $31,816 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $26,850 | $22,790 | $33,890 | 15,390 | $29,781 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $26,240 | $21,430 | $30,100 | 7,870 | $30,177 |
| 52 | Louisiana | $23,620 | $21,480 | $28,670 | 30,920 | $26,778 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $22,400 | $21,840 | $23,250 | 4,130 | N/A |
| 54 | Guam | $21,820 | $21,240 | $22,580 | 530 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Food Preparation Workers, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $40,910, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $41,367.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Food Preparation Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Food Preparation Workers the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Food Preparation Workers at $40,910 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($39,600) and California ($39,350).
Which state pays Food Preparation Workers the least?
Guam reports the lowest median for Food Preparation Workers at $21,820 a year, $19,090 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Food Preparation Workers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts North Dakota first at $41,367 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $36,800. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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