Boise City, ID metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Boise City, ID?

In the Boise City, ID metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,340 a year ($16.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,830 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $49,100 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,640 and $44,960; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Idaho tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,792 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Boise City, ID at a glance

Median salary

$35,340$16.99 per hour · $2,945 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,640$10.89/hr
25th percentile$28,580$13.74/hr
75th percentile$37,340$17.95/hr
90th percentile$44,960$21.62/hr
Jobs in this metro1,830Location quotient 0.81 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $49,100
Against Idaho12% aboveStatewide median $31,510
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Boise City, ID after taxes

$35,340
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,340
Net 84%
Fed 6%
ID 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,792After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,483Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,146Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,061 / yr
Idaho state income tax$783 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,704 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Boise City, ID, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Boise City, ID metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (ID)
10th percentile$10.89/hr$1,887$22,640$20,144
25th percentile$13.74/hr$2,382$28,580$24,719
MedianMedian$16.99/hr$2,945$35,340$29,792
75th percentile$17.95/hr$3,112$37,340$31,293
90th percentile$21.62/hr$3,747$44,960$37,012

Is $35,340 a good salary in Boise City, ID?

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$85,987Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.41.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.1%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Boise City, ID: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Boise City, ID?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Boise City, ID metro area was $35,340 in May 2025, about $2,945 a month or $16.99 an hour. Statewide, the Idaho median for this job is $31,510, so the metro pays 12% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Boise City, ID?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Boise City, ID was $16.99 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.89 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.62.

How many food preparation workers work in Boise City, ID?

BLS estimated 1,830 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Boise City, ID?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Boise City, ID run from $22,640 at the 10th percentile to $28,580 at the 25th, $37,340 at the 75th, and $44,960 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Boise City, ID?

On a median gross salary of $35,340, an estimated $29,792 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,146 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Idaho in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,548 (an effective rate of 15.7%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Boise City, ID?

On the median annual salary of $35,340, gross monthly income is $2,945. After federal, FICA, and Idaho state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,483 per month (or $1,146 every two weeks).

Is $35,340 a good salary in Boise City, ID?

At $35,340, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.1% of the Boise City, ID median household income ($85,987). It is 28% below the $49,100 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.4, so prices here run 1.6% below the U.S. average.