Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Jackson, TN make a median of $26,970 a year, or about $12.97 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $35K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.52), which stretches that salary to about $31,536 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,260/month, about 62.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Jackson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jackson’s Regional Price Parity (85.52). 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 Jackson
Pay for food preparation workers in Jackson runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,260/month, which is 63.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.52 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 Jackson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $35K | $36K |
| Memphis | $27K | $30K |
| Knoxville | $31K | $33K |
| Chattanooga | $30K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jackson, TN
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $35K or more, a $14K 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 Jackson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 63.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,260/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 Jackson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,315/month. At HUD’s $1,260/month FMR, rent would take 96% 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 Jackson?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $27K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jackson compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Jackson pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Jackson, TN?
The median is $26,970 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,910, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $35,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Jackson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,976/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,260/month, which eats 63.8% 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 Jackson?
Jackson has a Regional Price Parity of 85.52 (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 $31,536 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.