Food preparation worker pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA at a glance
Median salary
$39,660$19.07 per hour · $3,305 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Boston-Cambridge, MA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (MA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.71/hr | $2,897 | $34,760 | $28,692 |
| 25th percentile | $17.58/hr | $3,048 | $36,570 | $30,056 |
| MedianMedian | $19.07/hr | $3,305 | $39,660 | $32,384 |
| 75th percentile | $21.84/hr | $3,786 | $45,430 | $36,732 |
| 90th percentile | $23.29/hr | $4,038 | $48,450 | $39,007 |
Is $39,660 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.
Food preparation workers pay in Massachusetts and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Boston-Cambridge, MA: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area was $39,660 in May 2025, about $3,305 a month or $19.07 an hour. Statewide, the Massachusetts median for this job is $38,900, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was $19.07 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.29.
How many food preparation workers work in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
BLS estimated 9,630 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.62 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH run from $34,760 at the 10th percentile to $36,570 at the 25th, $45,430 at the 75th, and $48,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
On a median gross salary of $39,660, an estimated $32,384 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,246 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Massachusetts in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,276 (an effective rate of 18.3%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
On the median annual salary of $39,660, gross monthly income is $3,305. After federal, FICA, and Massachusetts state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,699 per month (or $1,246 every two weeks).
Is $39,660 a good salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
At $39,660, the median salary for food preparation workers is 34.2% of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH median household income ($115,863). It is 40% below the $66,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.3, so prices here run 8.3% above the U.S. average.