Gainesville, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Gainesville, FL?

In the Gainesville, FL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,050 a year ($16.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,320 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $47,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,380 and $38,570; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,343 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Gainesville, FL at a glance

Median salary

$35,050$16.85 per hour · $2,921 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,380$13.16/hr
25th percentile$30,260$14.55/hr
75th percentile$36,690$17.64/hr
90th percentile$38,570$18.54/hr
Jobs in this metro1,320Location quotient 1.50 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $47,020
Against Florida2% belowStatewide median $35,920
Against the U.S.1% 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 Gainesville, FL after taxes

$35,050
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,050
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,343After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,529Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,167Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,026 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,681 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Gainesville, FL, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Gainesville, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.16/hr$2,282$27,380$24,157
25th percentile$14.55/hr$2,522$30,260$26,494
MedianMedian$16.85/hr$2,921$35,050$30,343
75th percentile$17.64/hr$3,058$36,690$31,660
90th percentile$18.54/hr$3,214$38,570$33,171

Is $35,050 a good salary in Gainesville, FL?

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$61,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.73.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household57%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Gainesville, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Gainesville, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Gainesville, FL metro area was $35,050 in May 2025, about $2,921 a month or $16.85 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,920, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Gainesville, FL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Gainesville, FL was $16.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.16 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.54.

How many food preparation workers work in Gainesville, FL?

BLS estimated 1,320 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.50 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Gainesville, FL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Gainesville, FL run from $27,380 at the 10th percentile to $30,260 at the 25th, $36,690 at the 75th, and $38,570 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Gainesville, FL?

On a median gross salary of $35,050, an estimated $30,343 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,167 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,707 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Gainesville, FL?

On the median annual salary of $35,050, gross monthly income is $2,921. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,529 per month (or $1,167 every two weeks).

Is $35,050 a good salary in Gainesville, FL?

At $35,050, the median salary for food preparation workers is 57% of the Gainesville, FL median household income ($61,468). It is 25% below the $47,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.7, so prices here run 3.3% below the U.S. average.