Food preparation worker pay in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX at a glance
Median salary
$26,180$12.59 per hour · $2,182 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (TX) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $9.59/hr | $1,663 | $19,950 | $18,039 |
| 25th percentile | $10.85/hr | $1,880 | $22,560 | $20,188 |
| MedianMedian | $12.59/hr | $2,182 | $26,180 | $23,169 |
| 75th percentile | $14.91/hr | $2,584 | $31,010 | $27,097 |
| 90th percentile | $18.30/hr | $3,172 | $38,060 | $32,761 |
Is $26,180 a good salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
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 Texas and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area was $26,180 in May 2025, about $2,182 a month or $12.59 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $30,650, so the metro pays 15% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX was $12.59 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.30.
How many food preparation workers work in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
BLS estimated 1,390 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.53 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX run from $19,950 at the 10th percentile to $22,560 at the 25th, $31,010 at the 75th, and $38,060 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
On a median gross salary of $26,180, an estimated $23,169 lands in net take-home pay per year ($891 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,011 (an effective rate of 11.5%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
On the median annual salary of $26,180, gross monthly income is $2,182. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,931 per month (or $891 every two weeks).
Is $26,180 a good salary in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
At $26,180, the median salary for food preparation workers is 49.8% of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX median household income ($52,601). It is 28% below the $36,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.0, so prices here run 14% below the U.S. average.