Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $40,140 a year ($19.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 510 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,580 and $47,680; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Massachusetts tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,745 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA at a glance

Median salary

$40,140$19.30 per hour · $3,345 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,580$16.62/hr
25th percentile$36,610$17.60/hr
75th percentile$40,430$19.44/hr
90th percentile$47,680$22.92/hr
Jobs in this metro510Location quotient 1.35 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $57,030
Against Massachusetts3% aboveStatewide median $38,900
Against the U.S.14% aboveNational 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA after taxes

$40,140
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$40,140
Net 82%
Fed 7%
MA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,745After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,729Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,259Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,637 / yr
Massachusetts state income tax$1,687 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,071 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MA)
10th percentile$16.62/hr$2,882$34,580$28,556
25th percentile$17.60/hr$3,051$36,610$30,086
MedianMedian$19.30/hr$3,345$40,140$32,745
75th percentile$19.44/hr$3,369$40,430$32,964
90th percentile$22.92/hr$3,973$47,680$38,427

Is $40,140 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

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$87,001Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.20.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.1%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area was $40,140 in May 2025, about $3,345 a month or $19.30 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $38,900, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA was $19.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.62 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.92.

How many food preparation workers work in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS estimated 510 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.35 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA run from $34,580 at the 10th percentile to $36,610 at the 25th, $40,430 at the 75th, and $47,680 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On a median gross salary of $40,140, an estimated $32,745 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,259 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,395 (an effective rate of 18.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

On the median annual salary of $40,140, gross monthly income is $3,345. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,729 per month (or $1,259 every two weeks).

Is $40,140 a good salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

At $40,140, the median salary for food preparation workers is 46.1% of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA median household income ($87,001). It is 30% below the $57,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.2, so prices here run 0.2% above the U.S. average.