Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Indiana make a median of $29,700 a year, or about $14.28 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $32,349 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 53.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $30K get you in Indiana?
About food preparation workers
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What this looks like in Indiana
Pay for food preparation workers in Indiana runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 54.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Food Preparation Workers salary by metro in Indiana
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen | $34K | +13% | 660 |
| Columbus | $32K | +8% | 200 |
| Fort Wayne | $31K | +4% | 900 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $30K | +3% | 4,870 |
| Bloomington | $30K | +2% | 400 |
| Kokomo | $30K | +2% | 230 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $30K | +1% | 760 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $30K | -1% | 420 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $29K | -4% | 240 |
| Terre Haute | $29K | -4% | 340 |
| Evansville | $28K | -4% | 860 |
| Muncie | $28K | -6% | 280 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track food preparation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 54.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/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 Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,390/month. At HUD’s $1,144/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 Indiana?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $30K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Indiana pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Indiana?
The median is $29,700 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,170, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $39,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,083/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 54.9% 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 Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $32,349 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.