Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other Salary
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Others in Salem, OR make a median of $49,900 a year, or about $23.99 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $48,143 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 45.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About food preparation and serving related workers, all others
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What this looks like in Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for food preparation and serving related workers, all other, local pay runs about 39% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 48.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation and serving related workers, all others in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $38K | $36K |
| Bend | $46K | $44K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $35K | $31K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $37K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level food preparation and serving related workers, all others (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $46K | +29% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $44K | +21% | 410 |
| Oregon | $39K | +9% | 600 |
| Illinois | $39K | +8% | 2,720 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +8% | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +7% | 370 |
| Indiana | $38K | +6% | N/A |
| Arizona | $38K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Maryland | $38K | +5% | 3,540 |
| Utah | $37K | +4% | 290 |
| California | $37K | +3% | 30,730 |
| Tennessee | $37K | +2% | 2,670 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +1% | 1,060 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +1% | 3,780 |
| New Mexico | $36K | +1% | 130 |
| Virginia | $36K | +0% | 1,390 |
| Colorado | $36K | -0% | 2,970 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | -2% | N/A |
| Michigan | $35K | -2% | 530 |
| Washington | $35K | -3% | N/A |
| New York | $34K | -4% | 380 |
| Florida | $34K | -5% | 3,900 |
| Delaware | $34K | -6% | N/A |
| Iowa | $33K | -7% | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $33K | -8% | 730 |
| Vermont | $32K | -10% | 120 |
| Wyoming | $32K | -11% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -12% | 430 |
| Nevada | $32K | -12% | 1,140 |
| Wisconsin | $31K | -13% | 490 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -13% | 140 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | -13% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $31K | -15% | 810 |
| Texas | $30K | -16% | 4,030 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -16% | 4,670 |
| Montana | $30K | -17% | 470 |
| Missouri | $29K | -20% | N/A |
| Ohio | $28K | -23% | 3,260 |
| Georgia | $26K | -28% | 3,130 |
| North Dakota | $23K | -35% | N/A |
| Alabama | $23K | -36% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $22K | -38% | 850 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -39% | 3,670 |
| West Virginia | $22K | -40% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salem numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation and serving related workers, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 48.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food preparation and serving related workers, all others in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation and serving related workers, all others typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,476/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food preparation and serving related workers, all other a high-paying job in Salem?
Local pay is 39% above the national median — $50K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for food preparation and serving related workers, all others?
Salem pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food preparation and serving related workers, all others make in Salem, OR?
The median is $49,900 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,260, and experienced food preparation and serving related workers, all others can clear $61,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,191/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 48.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary go in Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary is worth about $48,143 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food preparation and serving related workers, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.