Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $28,770 a year ($13.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 730 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,710 and $36,290; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,179 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL at a glance

Median salary

$28,770$13.83 per hour · $2,398 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,710$9.96/hr
25th percentile$21,710$10.44/hr
75th percentile$33,960$16.33/hr
90th percentile$36,290$17.45/hr
Jobs in this metro730Location quotient 1.75 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $39,070
Against Alabama3% aboveStatewide median $27,930
Against the U.S.19% belowNational median $35,320

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

Food preparation worker salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL after taxes

$28,770
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,770
Net 84%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,179After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,015Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$930Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,272 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,117 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,201 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Auburn-Opelika, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$9.96/hr$1,726$20,710$17,917
25th percentile$10.44/hr$1,809$21,710$18,696
MedianMedian$13.83/hr$2,398$28,770$24,179
75th percentile$16.33/hr$2,830$33,960$28,109
90th percentile$17.45/hr$3,024$36,290$29,873

Is $28,770 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

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$63,649Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.912.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.2%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area was $28,770 in May 2025, about $2,398 a month or $13.83 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $27,930, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL was $13.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.96 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.45.

How many food preparation workers work in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS estimated 730 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 10.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.75 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL run from $20,710 at the 10th percentile to $21,710 at the 25th, $33,960 at the 75th, and $36,290 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On a median gross salary of $28,770, an estimated $24,179 lands in net take-home pay per year ($930 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,591 (an effective rate of 16%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On the median annual salary of $28,770, gross monthly income is $2,398. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,015 per month (or $930 every two weeks).

Is $28,770 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

At $28,770, the median salary for food preparation workers is 45.2% of the Auburn-Opelika, AL median household income ($63,649). It is 26% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.9, so prices here run 12.1% below the U.S. average.