Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Cheyenne, WY make a median of $35,930 a year, or about $17.27 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.49), that's roughly $37,237 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,174/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Cheyenne?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cheyenne’s Regional Price Parity (96.49). 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 workers
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What this looks like in Cheyenne
Food preparation workers pay in Cheyenne tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,174/month, which is 45.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation workers in metros near Cheyenne, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Casper | $35K | $37K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $39K | , |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $33K | $33K |
| Omaha | $36K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cheyenne, WY
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Preparation Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $41K | +16% | 19,510 |
| District of Columbia | $40K | +12% | 3,970 |
| California | $39K | +11% | 112,750 |
| Colorado | $39K | +10% | 12,080 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +10% | 13,620 |
| Hawaii | $38K | +8% | 5,950 |
| Oregon | $37K | +6% | 11,860 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +4% | 980 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +4% | 3,420 |
| Arizona | $37K | +4% | 16,590 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +4% | 12,250 |
| Vermont | $37K | +3% | 1,350 |
| Wyoming | $36K | +2% | 1,620 |
| Maine | $36K | +2% | 4,560 |
| Delaware | $36K | +2% | 2,400 |
| Florida | $36K | +2% | 73,100 |
| Alaska | $36K | +1% | 2,800 |
| New York | $36K | +1% | 62,380 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +1% | 24,730 |
| Maryland | $36K | +1% | 13,280 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +0% | 2,830 |
| Georgia | $35K | -0% | 26,450 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -0% | 6,890 |
| Virginia | $35K | -1% | 16,340 |
| Minnesota | $35K | -1% | 24,620 |
| Illinois | $35K | -1% | 34,820 |
| Ohio | $35K | -2% | 19,480 |
| Wisconsin | $34K | -4% | 17,990 |
| Montana | $34K | -4% | 2,990 |
| Utah | $34K | -5% | 10,530 |
| Nevada | $33K | -5% | 11,420 |
| New Mexico | $33K | -6% | 6,850 |
| South Carolina | $32K | -9% | 14,460 |
| Missouri | $32K | -11% | 13,650 |
| Idaho | $32K | -11% | 4,670 |
| Michigan | $31K | -12% | 17,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -13% | 17,940 |
| Texas | $31K | -13% | 81,280 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -14% | 3,270 |
| Iowa | $30K | -14% | 4,170 |
| Kansas | $30K | -14% | 7,680 |
| North Carolina | $30K | -14% | 24,960 |
| Indiana | $30K | -16% | 16,200 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -19% | 19,780 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -19% | 7,430 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -20% | 2,960 |
| Alabama | $28K | -21% | 17,680 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -22% | 5,500 |
| Kentucky | $27K | -24% | 15,390 |
| Mississippi | $26K | -26% | 7,870 |
| Louisiana | $24K | -33% | 30,920 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track food preparation workers salary changes
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Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cheyenne?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 45.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,174/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food preparation workers in Cheyenne?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,274/month. At HUD’s $1,174/month FMR, rent would take 92% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food preparation worker a high-paying job in Cheyenne?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Cheyenne compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Cheyenne pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Cheyenne, WY?
The median is $35,930 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,230, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $46,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Cheyenne?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,576/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,174/month, which eats 45.6% 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 workers salary go in Cheyenne?
Cheyenne has a Regional Price Parity of 96.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food preparation workers salary is worth about $37,237 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food preparation workers 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.