Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Cape Girardeau, MO?

In the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $28,860 a year ($13.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 240 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $44,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,600 and $36,550; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,085 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Cape Girardeau, MO at a glance

Median salary

$28,860$13.87 per hour · $2,405 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
25th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
75th percentile$33,960$16.33/hr
90th percentile$36,550$17.57/hr
Jobs in this metro240Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $44,470
Against Illinois17% belowStatewide median $34,850
Against the U.S.18% 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 Cape Girardeau, MO after taxes

$28,860
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,860
Net 83%
Fed 4%
IL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,085After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,007Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$926Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,283 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,284 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,208 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Cape Girardeau, MO, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$23,889
25th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$23,889
MedianMedian$13.87/hr$2,405$28,860$24,085
75th percentile$16.33/hr$2,830$33,960$27,931
90th percentile$17.57/hr$3,046$36,550$29,883

Is $28,860 a good salary in Cape Girardeau, MO?

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$66,759Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.113.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.2%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Cape Girardeau, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area was $28,860 in May 2025, about $2,405 a month or $13.87 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $34,850, so the metro pays 17% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL was $13.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.57.

How many food preparation workers work in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

BLS estimated 240 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.93 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL run from $28,600 at the 10th percentile to $28,600 at the 25th, $33,960 at the 75th, and $36,550 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

On a median gross salary of $28,860, an estimated $24,085 lands in net take-home pay per year ($926 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,775 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

On the median annual salary of $28,860, gross monthly income is $2,405. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,007 per month (or $926 every two weeks).

Is $28,860 a good salary in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

At $28,860, the median salary for food preparation workers is 43.2% of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL median household income ($66,759). It is 35% below the $44,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.1, so prices here run 13.9% below the U.S. average.