Charleston, WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Charleston, WV?

In the Charleston, WV metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $27,970 a year ($13.45 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 310 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,970 and $36,960; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and West Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,980 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Charleston, WV at a glance

Median salary

$27,970$13.45 per hour · $2,331 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,970$10.56/hr
25th percentile$22,790$10.96/hr
75th percentile$31,540$15.16/hr
90th percentile$36,960$17.77/hr
Jobs in this metro310Location quotient 0.52 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $45,830
Against West Virginia1% belowStatewide median $28,360
Against the U.S.21% 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 Charleston, WV after taxes

$27,970
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,970
Net 86%
Fed 4%
WV 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,980After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,998Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$922Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,187 / yr
West Virginia state income tax$663 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,140 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Charleston, WV, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Charleston, WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WV)
10th percentile$10.56/hr$1,831$21,970$19,211
25th percentile$10.96/hr$1,899$22,790$19,863
MedianMedian$13.45/hr$2,331$27,970$23,980
75th percentile$15.16/hr$2,628$31,540$26,746
90th percentile$17.77/hr$3,080$36,960$30,930

Is $27,970 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

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$60,117Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.711.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.5%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Charleston, WV: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Charleston, WV?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Charleston, WV metro area was $27,970 in May 2025, about $2,331 a month or $13.45 an hour. Statewide, the West Virginia median for this job is $28,360, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Charleston, WV?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Charleston, WV was $13.45 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.56 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.77.

How many food preparation workers work in Charleston, WV?

BLS estimated 310 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.52 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Charleston, WV?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Charleston, WV run from $21,970 at the 10th percentile to $22,790 at the 25th, $31,540 at the 75th, and $36,960 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Charleston, WV?

On a median gross salary of $27,970, an estimated $23,980 lands in net take-home pay per year ($922 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in West Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,990 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Charleston, WV?

On the median annual salary of $27,970, gross monthly income is $2,331. After federal, FICA, and West Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,998 per month (or $922 every two weeks).

Is $27,970 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

At $27,970, the median salary for food preparation workers is 46.5% of the Charleston, WV median household income ($60,117). It is 39% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.7, so prices here run 11.3% below the U.S. average.