Alexandria, LA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Alexandria, LA?

In the Alexandria, LA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $22,080 a year ($10.62 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 980 of these jobs there. That is 46% below the $40,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $16,620 and $29,590; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Louisiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,517 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Alexandria, LA at a glance

Median salary

$22,080$10.62 per hour · $1,840 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$16,620$7.99/hr
25th percentile$19,640$9.44/hr
75th percentile$25,440$12.23/hr
90th percentile$29,590$14.23/hr
Jobs in this metro980Location quotient 2.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here46% belowAll-jobs median $40,600
Against Louisiana7% belowStatewide median $23,620
Against the U.S.37% belowNational median $35,320

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Food preparation worker salary in Alexandria, LA after taxes

$22,080
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$22,080
Net 88%
Fed 3%
LA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,517After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,626Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$751Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$598 / yr
Louisiana state income tax$276 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,689 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Alexandria, LA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Alexandria, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Alexandria, LA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (LA)
10th percentile$7.99/hr$1,385$16,620$15,184
25th percentile$9.44/hr$1,637$19,640$17,581
MedianMedian$10.62/hr$1,840$22,080$19,517
75th percentile$12.23/hr$2,120$25,440$22,183
90th percentile$14.23/hr$2,466$29,590$25,454

Is $22,080 a good salary in Alexandria, LA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.

Median household income$56,353Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.714.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Food preparation worker pay in Alexandria, LA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Alexandria, LA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Alexandria, LA metro area was $22,080 in May 2025, about $1,840 a month or $10.62 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $23,620, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Alexandria, LA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Alexandria, LA was $10.62 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $7.99 an hour and one in ten earned more than $14.23.

How many food preparation workers work in Alexandria, LA?

BLS estimated 980 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 16.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.83 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Alexandria, LA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Alexandria, LA run from $16,620 at the 10th percentile to $19,640 at the 25th, $25,440 at the 75th, and $29,590 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Alexandria, LA?

On a median gross salary of $22,080, an estimated $19,517 lands in net take-home pay per year ($751 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,563 (an effective rate of 11.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Alexandria, LA?

On the median annual salary of $22,080, gross monthly income is $1,840. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,626 per month (or $751 every two weeks).

Is $22,080 a good salary in Alexandria, LA?

At $22,080, the median salary for food preparation workers is 39.2% of the Alexandria, LA median household income ($56,353). It is 46% below the $40,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.7, so prices here run 14.3% below the U.S. average.