Jacksonville, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Jacksonville, NC?

In the Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $27,900 a year ($13.42 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 280 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $40,230 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,980 and $35,140; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,981 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Jacksonville, NC at a glance

Median salary

$27,900$13.42 per hour · $2,325 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,980$9.12/hr
25th percentile$23,050$11.08/hr
75th percentile$32,410$15.58/hr
90th percentile$35,140$16.89/hr
Jobs in this metro280Location quotient 0.92 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $40,230
Against North Carolina8% belowStatewide median $30,260
Against the U.S.21% 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 Jacksonville, NC after taxes

$27,900
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,900
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,981After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,998Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$922Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,180 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$604 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,134 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Jacksonville, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Jacksonville, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$9.12/hr$1,582$18,980$16,991
25th percentile$11.08/hr$1,921$23,050$20,181
MedianMedian$13.42/hr$2,325$27,900$23,981
75th percentile$15.58/hr$2,701$32,410$27,437
90th percentile$16.89/hr$2,928$35,140$29,522

Is $27,900 a good salary in Jacksonville, NC?

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$68,148Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.17.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.9%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Jacksonville, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Jacksonville, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Jacksonville, NC metro area was $27,900 in May 2025, about $2,325 a month or $13.42 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Jacksonville, NC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Jacksonville, NC was $13.42 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.12 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.89.

How many food preparation workers work in Jacksonville, NC?

BLS estimated 280 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.92 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Jacksonville, NC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Jacksonville, NC run from $18,980 at the 10th percentile to $23,050 at the 25th, $32,410 at the 75th, and $35,140 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Jacksonville, NC?

On a median gross salary of $27,900, an estimated $23,981 lands in net take-home pay per year ($922 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,919 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Jacksonville, NC?

On the median annual salary of $27,900, gross monthly income is $2,325. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,998 per month (or $922 every two weeks).

Is $27,900 a good salary in Jacksonville, NC?

At $27,900, the median salary for food preparation workers is 40.9% of the Jacksonville, NC median household income ($68,148). It is 31% below the $40,230 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.1, so prices here run 7.9% below the U.S. average.