Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Dalton, GA make a median of $30,100 a year, or about $14.47 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.84), which stretches that salary to about $33,504 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,009/month, about 49.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Dalton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dalton’s Regional Price Parity (89.84). 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 Dalton
Pay for food preparation workers in Dalton runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,009/month, which is 48.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.84 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for food preparation workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation workers in metros near Dalton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $36K | $36K |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $32K | $35K |
| Savannah | $34K | $36K |
| Columbus | $29K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dalton, GA
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $15K 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 Dalton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 48.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,009/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Dalton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,346/month. At HUD’s $1,009/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Dalton?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $30K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Dalton compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Dalton pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Dalton, GA?
The median is $30,100 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,430, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $37,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Dalton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,085/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,009/month, which eats 48.4% 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 Dalton?
Dalton has a Regional Price Parity of 89.84 (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 $33,504 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.