Grand Island, NE metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Grand Island, NE?

In the Grand Island, NE metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $34,590 a year ($16.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 190 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,300 and $40,120; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Nebraska tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,279 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Grand Island, NE at a glance

Median salary

$34,590$16.63 per hour · $2,883 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,300$13.60/hr
25th percentile$30,160$14.50/hr
75th percentile$36,750$17.67/hr
90th percentile$40,120$19.29/hr
Jobs in this metro190Location quotient 0.85 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $49,410
Against Nebraska2% belowStatewide median $35,210
Against the U.S.2% 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 Grand Island, NE after taxes

$34,590
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,590
Net 85%
Fed 6%
NE 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,279After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,440Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,126Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,971 / yr
Nebraska state income tax$694 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,646 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Grand Island, NE, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Grand Island, NE metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NE)
10th percentile$13.60/hr$2,358$28,300$24,452
25th percentile$14.50/hr$2,513$30,160$25,885
MedianMedian$16.63/hr$2,883$34,590$29,279
75th percentile$17.67/hr$3,063$36,750$30,916
90th percentile$19.29/hr$3,343$40,120$33,471

Is $34,590 a good salary in Grand Island, NE?

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$69,704Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.713.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Grand Island, NE: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Grand Island, NE?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Grand Island, NE metro area was $34,590 in May 2025, about $2,883 a month or $16.63 an hour. Statewide, the Nebraska median for this job is $35,210, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Grand Island, NE?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Grand Island, NE was $16.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.60 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.29.

How many food preparation workers work in Grand Island, NE?

BLS estimated 190 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Grand Island, NE?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Grand Island, NE run from $28,300 at the 10th percentile to $30,160 at the 25th, $36,750 at the 75th, and $40,120 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Grand Island, NE?

On a median gross salary of $34,590, an estimated $29,279 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,126 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Nebraska in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,311 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Grand Island, NE?

On the median annual salary of $34,590, gross monthly income is $2,883. After federal, FICA, and Nebraska state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,440 per month (or $1,126 every two weeks).

Is $34,590 a good salary in Grand Island, NE?

At $34,590, the median salary for food preparation workers is 49.6% of the Grand Island, NE median household income ($69,704). It is 30% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.7, so prices here run 13.3% below the U.S. average.