Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Florida make a median of $35,920 a year, or about $17.27 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $36,437 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 64.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Florida?
About food preparation workers
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What this looks like in Florida
Food preparation workers pay in Florida 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 $1,658/month, which is 64.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation Workers salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $38K | +6% | 1,610 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $37K | +4% | 3,480 |
| Port St. Lucie | $37K | +3% | 1,590 |
| Jacksonville | $37K | +2% | 4,630 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $37K | +2% | 1,050 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $37K | +2% | 2,460 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $36K | +1% | 10,150 |
| Punta Gorda | $36K | +1% | 760 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $36K | +0% | 19,630 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $36K | -0% | 2,050 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $36K | -1% | 10,300 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $36K | -1% | 630 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $35K | -1% | 500 |
| Gainesville | $35K | -2% | 1,320 |
| Homosassa Springs | $35K | -3% | 430 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $35K | -3% | 1,680 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $35K | -3% | 2,540 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $35K | -3% | 700 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $35K | -4% | 1,930 |
| Ocala | $35K | -4% | 960 |
| Tallahassee | $34K | -6% | 1,570 |
| Sebring | $32K | -10% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track food preparation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 64.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,691/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 98% 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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Florida pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Florida?
The median is $35,920 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,190, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $43,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,575/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 64.4% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $36,437 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.