El Paso, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in El Paso, TX?

In the El Paso, TX metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $25,810 a year ($12.41 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,220 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $39,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $19,100 and $36,040; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,865 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in El Paso, TX at a glance

Median salary

$25,810$12.41 per hour · $2,151 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$19,100$9.18/hr
25th percentile$21,800$10.48/hr
75th percentile$30,490$14.66/hr
90th percentile$36,040$17.33/hr
Jobs in this metro2,220Location quotient 1.14 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $39,510
Against Texas16% belowStatewide median $30,650
Against the U.S.27% 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 El Paso, TX after taxes

$25,810
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$25,810
Net 89%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,865After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,905Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$879Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$971 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,974 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in El Paso, TX, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the El Paso, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$9.18/hr$1,592$19,100$17,339
25th percentile$10.48/hr$1,817$21,800$19,562
MedianMedian$12.41/hr$2,151$25,810$22,865
75th percentile$14.66/hr$2,541$30,490$26,679
90th percentile$17.33/hr$3,003$36,040$31,138

Is $25,810 a good salary in El Paso, 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$59,751Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.910.1% 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 El Paso, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in El Paso, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the El Paso, TX metro area was $25,810 in May 2025, about $2,151 a month or $12.41 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $30,650, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in El Paso, TX?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in El Paso, TX was $12.41 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.18 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.33.

How many food preparation workers work in El Paso, TX?

BLS estimated 2,220 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.14 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in El Paso, TX?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in El Paso, TX run from $19,100 at the 10th percentile to $21,800 at the 25th, $30,490 at the 75th, and $36,040 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in El Paso, TX?

On a median gross salary of $25,810, an estimated $22,865 lands in net take-home pay per year ($879 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,945 (an effective rate of 11.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in El Paso, TX?

On the median annual salary of $25,810, gross monthly income is $2,151. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,905 per month (or $879 every two weeks).

Is $25,810 a good salary in El Paso, TX?

At $25,810, the median salary for food preparation workers is 43.2% of the El Paso, TX median household income ($59,751). It is 35% below the $39,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.9, so prices here run 10.1% below the U.S. average.