Food preparation worker pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance
Median salary
$34,560$16.62 per hour · $2,880 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $11.93/hr | $2,068 | $24,820 | $21,568 |
| 25th percentile | $13.92/hr | $2,413 | $28,960 | $24,803 |
| MedianMedian | $16.62/hr | $2,880 | $34,560 | $29,079 |
| 75th percentile | $18.02/hr | $3,123 | $37,480 | $31,308 |
| 90th percentile | $21.61/hr | $3,746 | $44,950 | $37,013 |
Is $34,560 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.
Food preparation workers pay in North Carolina and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $34,560 in May 2025, about $2,880 a month or $16.62 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 14% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $16.62 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.93 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.61.
How many food preparation workers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS estimated 1,170 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.59 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $24,820 at the 10th percentile to $28,960 at the 25th, $37,480 at the 75th, and $44,950 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On a median gross salary of $34,560, an estimated $29,079 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,118 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,481 (an effective rate of 15.9%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On the median annual salary of $34,560, gross monthly income is $2,880. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,423 per month (or $1,118 every two weeks).
Is $34,560 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
At $34,560, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.4% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 43% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.6, so prices here run 2.4% below the U.S. average.