Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY make a median of $35,550 a year, or about $17.09 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.42), so that salary is closer to $32,489 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,979/month, about 80.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh’s Regional Price Parity (109.42). 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 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh
Food preparation workers pay in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,979/month, which is 81.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food preparation workers in metros near Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $36K | $32K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $35K | $36K |
| Rochester | $35K | $36K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $36K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $11K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 81.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,979/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 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,934/month. At HUD’s $1,979/month FMR, rent would take 102% 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 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY?
The median is $35,550 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,240, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $43,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,438/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,979/month, which eats 81.2% 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 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh?
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 109.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food preparation workers salary is worth about $32,489 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.