Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $37,040 a year ($17.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 450 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $60,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $33,960 and $51,080; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Vermont tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,135 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Burlington, VT at a glance

Median salary

$37,040$17.81 per hour · $3,087 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$33,960$16.33/hr
25th percentile$36,340$17.47/hr
75th percentile$45,260$21.76/hr
90th percentile$51,080$24.56/hr
Jobs in this metro450Location quotient 0.65 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $60,020
Against Vermont1% aboveStatewide median $36,550
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational 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, VT after taxes

$37,040
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,040
Net 84%
Fed 6%
VT 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,135After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,595Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,197Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,265 / yr
Vermont state income tax$807 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,834 / yr

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

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VT)
10th percentile$16.33/hr$2,830$33,960$28,763
25th percentile$17.47/hr$3,028$36,340$30,596
MedianMedian$17.81/hr$3,087$37,040$31,135
75th percentile$21.76/hr$3,772$45,260$37,464
90th percentile$24.56/hr$4,257$51,080$41,945

Is $37,040 a good salary in Burlington, VT?

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$93,043Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.8%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Burlington, VT: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT metro area was $37,040 in May 2025, about $3,087 a month or $17.81 an hour. Statewide, the Vermont median for this job is $36,550, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Burlington-South Burlington, VT was $17.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.33 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.56.

How many food preparation workers work in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

BLS estimated 450 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.65 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Burlington-South Burlington, VT run from $33,960 at the 10th percentile to $36,340 at the 25th, $45,260 at the 75th, and $51,080 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-South Burlington, VT?

On a median gross salary of $37,040, an estimated $31,135 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,197 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Vermont in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,905 (an effective rate of 15.9%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

On the median annual salary of $37,040, gross monthly income is $3,087. After federal, FICA, and Vermont state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,595 per month (or $1,197 every two weeks).

Is $37,040 a good salary in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?

At $37,040, the median salary for food preparation workers is 39.8% of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT median household income ($93,043). It is 38% below the $60,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.