Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $30,740 a year ($14.78 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 21,700 of these jobs there. That is 40% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,320 and $44,110; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,880 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at a glance

Median salary

$30,740$14.78 per hour · $2,562 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,320$11.69/hr
25th percentile$27,910$13.42/hr
75th percentile$37,040$17.81/hr
90th percentile$44,110$21.21/hr
Jobs in this metro21,700Location quotient 0.93 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here40% belowAll-jobs median $51,440
Against Texasabout the same asStatewide median $30,650
Against the U.S.13% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX after taxes

$30,740
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,740
Net 87%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,880After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,240Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,034Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,509 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,352 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$11.69/hr$2,027$24,320$21,638
25th percentile$13.42/hr$2,326$27,910$24,594
MedianMedian$14.78/hr$2,562$30,740$26,880
75th percentile$17.81/hr$3,087$37,040$31,942
90th percentile$21.21/hr$3,676$44,110$37,622

Is $30,740 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

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$90,275Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.13.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household34.1%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area was $30,740 in May 2025, about $2,562 a month or $14.78 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $30,650, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX was $14.78 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.69 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.21.

How many food preparation workers work in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS estimated 21,700 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.4 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX run from $24,320 at the 10th percentile to $27,910 at the 25th, $37,040 at the 75th, and $44,110 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On a median gross salary of $30,740, an estimated $26,880 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,034 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,860 (an effective rate of 12.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On the median annual salary of $30,740, gross monthly income is $2,562. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,240 per month (or $1,034 every two weeks).

Is $30,740 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

At $30,740, the median salary for food preparation workers is 34.1% of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX median household income ($90,275). It is 40% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.1, so prices here run 3.1% above the U.S. average.