Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR?

In the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $30,560 a year ($14.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,040 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $46,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,600 and $37,440; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,088 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR at a glance

Median salary

$30,560$14.69 per hour · $2,547 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,600$12.79/hr
25th percentile$27,670$13.30/hr
75th percentile$35,800$17.21/hr
90th percentile$37,440$18.00/hr
Jobs in this metro1,040Location quotient 0.66 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $46,610
Against Arkansas10% aboveStatewide median $27,660
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 Fayetteville-Springdale, AR after taxes

$30,560
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,560
Net 85%
Fed 5%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,088After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,174Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,003Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,487 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$647 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,338 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$12.79/hr$2,217$26,600$23,012
25th percentile$13.30/hr$2,306$27,670$23,856
MedianMedian$14.69/hr$2,547$30,560$26,088
75th percentile$17.21/hr$2,983$35,800$30,094
90th percentile$18.00/hr$3,120$37,440$31,348

Is $30,560 a good salary in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR?

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$81,650Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.48.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.4%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area was $30,560 in May 2025, about $2,547 a month or $14.69 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $27,660, so the metro pays 10% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR was $14.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.00.

How many food preparation workers work in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

BLS estimated 1,040 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.66 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR run from $26,600 at the 10th percentile to $27,670 at the 25th, $35,800 at the 75th, and $37,440 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

On a median gross salary of $30,560, an estimated $26,088 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,003 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,472 (an effective rate of 14.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

On the median annual salary of $30,560, gross monthly income is $2,547. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,174 per month (or $1,003 every two weeks).

Is $30,560 a good salary in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

At $30,560, the median salary for food preparation workers is 37.4% of the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR median household income ($81,650). It is 34% below the $46,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.4, so prices here run 8.6% below the U.S. average.