Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Augusta-Richmond County, GA?

In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $32,090 a year ($15.43 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,120 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $45,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,600 and $38,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,112 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Augusta-Richmond County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$32,090$15.43 per hour · $2,674 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,600$10.87/hr
25th percentile$27,820$13.38/hr
75th percentile$35,380$17.01/hr
90th percentile$38,990$18.75/hr
Jobs in this metro1,120Location quotient 0.84 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $45,990
Against Georgia9% belowStatewide median $35,250
Against the U.S.9% 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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA after taxes

$32,090
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,090
Net 84%
Fed 5%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,112After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,259Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,043Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,671 / yr
Georgia state income tax$853 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,455 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Augusta-Richmond County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$10.87/hr$1,883$22,600$19,842
25th percentile$13.38/hr$2,318$27,820$23,880
MedianMedian$15.43/hr$2,674$32,090$27,112
75th percentile$17.01/hr$2,948$35,380$29,591
90th percentile$18.75/hr$3,249$38,990$32,311

Is $32,090 a good salary in Augusta-Richmond County, GA?

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$69,344Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.98.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.3%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Augusta-Richmond County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area was $32,090 in May 2025, about $2,674 a month or $15.43 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,250, so the metro pays 9% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC was $15.43 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.87 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.75.

How many food preparation workers work in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

BLS estimated 1,120 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.84 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC run from $22,600 at the 10th percentile to $27,820 at the 25th, $35,380 at the 75th, and $38,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

On a median gross salary of $32,090, an estimated $27,112 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,043 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,978 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

On the median annual salary of $32,090, gross monthly income is $2,674. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,259 per month (or $1,043 every two weeks).

Is $32,090 a good salary in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

At $32,090, the median salary for food preparation workers is 46.3% of the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC median household income ($69,344). It is 30% below the $45,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.9, so prices here run 8.1% below the U.S. average.