Burlington, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Burlington, NC?

In the Burlington, NC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $29,660 a year ($14.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 410 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,220 and $37,120; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,337 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Burlington, NC at a glance

Median salary

$29,660$14.26 per hour · $2,472 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,220$10.20/hr
25th percentile$27,620$13.28/hr
75th percentile$35,260$16.95/hr
90th percentile$37,120$17.85/hr
Jobs in this metro410Location quotient 1.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $44,010
Against North Carolina2% belowStatewide median $30,260
Against the U.S.16% belowNational 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 Burlington, NC after taxes

$29,660
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,660
Net 85%
Fed 5%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,337After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,111Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$975Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,379 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$675 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,269 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Burlington, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Burlington, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.20/hr$1,768$21,220$18,747
25th percentile$13.28/hr$2,302$27,620$23,762
MedianMedian$14.26/hr$2,472$29,660$25,337
75th percentile$16.95/hr$2,938$35,260$29,613
90th percentile$17.85/hr$3,093$37,120$31,034

Is $29,660 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

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$65,651Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.26.8% 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 Burlington, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Burlington, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Burlington, NC metro area was $29,660 in May 2025, about $2,472 a month or $14.26 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Burlington, NC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Burlington, NC was $14.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.20 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.85.

How many food preparation workers work in Burlington, NC?

BLS estimated 410 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Burlington, NC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Burlington, NC run from $21,220 at the 10th percentile to $27,620 at the 25th, $35,260 at the 75th, and $37,120 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Burlington, NC?

On a median gross salary of $29,660, an estimated $25,337 lands in net take-home pay per year ($975 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,323 (an effective rate of 14.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Burlington, NC?

On the median annual salary of $29,660, gross monthly income is $2,472. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,111 per month (or $975 every two weeks).

Is $29,660 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

At $29,660, the median salary for food preparation workers is 45.2% of the Burlington, NC median household income ($65,651). It is 33% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.2, so prices here run 6.8% below the U.S. average.