Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC make a median of $27,680 a year, or about $13.31 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $31,280 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,095/month, about 55% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $28K actually covers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for food preparation workers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 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 $1,095/month, which is 57% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 workers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation workers in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $34K | $35K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $29K | $30K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $32K | $34K |
| Wilmington | $32K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $16K 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 annually. We'll email you when Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 57% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,485/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $28K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $27,680 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,960, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $37,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,920/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 57% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (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 $31,280 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.