Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL make a mean (average) of $27,410 a year, or about $13.18 an hour. The range runs from $20K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. BLS does not publish the median for this occupation because wages exceed the reportable ceiling. The figure shown is the mean (average). Cost of living is below average (RPP 84.82), which stretches that salary to about $32,315 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,000/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K (mean) get you in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Florence-Muscle Shoals’s Regional Price Parity (84.82). 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals
Pay for food preparation workers in Florence-Muscle Shoals runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,000/month, which is 52.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 84.82 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 15% 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | $30K | $32K |
| Birmingham | $29K | $32K |
| Montgomery | $27K | $31K |
| Mobile | $28K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $20K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $36K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florence-Muscle Shoals numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 52.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,000/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 Florence-Muscle Shoals?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $20K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,215/month. At HUD’s $1,000/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $27K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 15% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Florence-Muscle Shoals compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Florence-Muscle Shoals pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 84.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?
BLS reports a mean (average) wage of $27,410 a year for this occupation in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL. The median is not published because wages exceed the BLS reportable ceiling. Entry-level workers start around $20,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,905/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,000/month, which eats 52.5% 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Florence-Muscle Shoals has a Regional Price Parity of 84.82 (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 $32,315 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.