Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Illinois make a median of $34,850 a year, or about $16.75 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $37,134 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 59.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $35K get you in Illinois?
About food preparation workers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Food preparation workers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 59.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation Workers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $35K | +2% | 27,100 |
| Decatur | $33K | -4% | 200 |
| Springfield | $33K | -7% | 510 |
| Rockford | $33K | -7% | 720 |
| Peoria | $32K | -8% | 770 |
| Bloomington | $32K | -8% | 580 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $32K | -9% | 660 |
| Kankakee | $31K | -10% | 270 |
Compare to other states
Track food preparation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 59.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,407/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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Illinois pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Illinois?
The median is $34,850 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $44,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,360/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 59.6% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $37,134 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.