Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Janesville-Beloit, WI make a median of $32,150 a year, or about $15.46 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.7), which stretches that salary to about $34,312 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,246/month, about 56.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Janesville-Beloit?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Janesville-Beloit’s Regional Price Parity (93.7). 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 Janesville-Beloit
Food preparation workers pay in Janesville-Beloit tracks closely to the national median, $32K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,246/month, which is 55.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.7 (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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation workers in metros near Janesville-Beloit, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $35K | $37K |
| Madison | $37K | $38K |
| Green Bay | $33K | $35K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $35K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Janesville-Beloit, WI
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $18K 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 Janesville-Beloit?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 55.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,246/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 Janesville-Beloit?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,586/month. At HUD’s $1,246/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Janesville-Beloit?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $32K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Janesville-Beloit compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Janesville-Beloit pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Janesville-Beloit, WI?
The median is $32,150 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,430, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $44,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Janesville-Beloit?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,263/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,246/month, which eats 55.1% 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 Janesville-Beloit?
Janesville-Beloit has a Regional Price Parity of 93.7 (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 $34,312 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.