Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV make a median of $31,290 a year, or about $15.05 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.17), which stretches that salary to about $33,227 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,233/month, about 57.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hagerstown-Martinsburg’s Regional Price Parity (94.17). 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Pay for food preparation workers in Hagerstown-Martinsburg runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,233/month, which is 57.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $35K | $34K |
| Salisbury | $31K | $33K |
| Lexington Park | $34K | $34K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $38K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $13K 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 57.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,233/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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,498/month. At HUD’s $1,233/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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $31K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hagerstown-Martinsburg compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV?
The median is $31,290 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,960, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $38,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,156/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,233/month, which eats 57.2% 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg has a Regional Price Parity of 94.17 (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 $33,227 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.