Food Preparation Workers Salary
Food Preparation Workers in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA make a median of $38,780 a year, or about $18.64 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $34,659 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 112.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Food preparation workers pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 110.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $40K | $35K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $41K | $35K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $38K | $36K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $46K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level food preparation workers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $12K 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a food preparation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 110.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food preparation workers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,149/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 140% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for food preparation workers?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do food preparation workers make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $38,780 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,820, and experienced food preparation workers can clear $47,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,706/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 110.9% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $34,659 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.