Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC make a median of $33,330 a year, or about $16.03 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.64), which stretches that salary to about $35,594 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,465/month, about 64.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $33K get you in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach’s Regional Price Parity (93.64). 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
Food preparation workers pay in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,465/month, which is 62.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.64 (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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $30K | $33K |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $36K | $36K |
| Columbia | $30K | $32K |
| Spartanburg | $29K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $17K 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 62.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,465/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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,354/month. At HUD’s $1,465/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC?
The median is $33,330 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,560, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $39,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,360/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,465/month, which eats 62.1% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 93.64 (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 $35,594 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.