Jonesboro, AR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Jonesboro, AR?

In the Jonesboro, AR metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $27,580 a year ($13.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 240 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $42,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,060 and $35,940; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,785 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Jonesboro, AR at a glance

Median salary

$27,580$13.26 per hour · $2,298 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,060$11.57/hr
25th percentile$26,040$12.52/hr
75th percentile$31,810$15.29/hr
90th percentile$35,940$17.28/hr
Jobs in this metro240Location quotient 0.68 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $42,240
Against Arkansasabout the same asStatewide median $27,660
Against the U.S.22% 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 Jonesboro, AR after taxes

$27,580
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,580
Net 86%
Fed 4%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,785After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,982Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$915Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,148 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$537 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,110 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Jonesboro, AR, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Jonesboro, AR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$11.57/hr$2,005$24,060$21,006
25th percentile$12.52/hr$2,170$26,040$22,570
MedianMedian$13.26/hr$2,298$27,580$23,785
75th percentile$15.29/hr$2,651$31,810$27,044
90th percentile$17.28/hr$2,995$35,940$30,201

Is $27,580 a good salary in Jonesboro, 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$56,738Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Jonesboro, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Jonesboro, AR?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Jonesboro, AR metro area was $27,580 in May 2025, about $2,298 a month or $13.26 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $27,660, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Jonesboro, AR?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Jonesboro, AR was $13.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.57 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.28.

How many food preparation workers work in Jonesboro, AR?

BLS estimated 240 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.68 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Jonesboro, AR?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Jonesboro, AR run from $24,060 at the 10th percentile to $26,040 at the 25th, $31,810 at the 75th, and $35,940 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Jonesboro, AR?

On a median gross salary of $27,580, an estimated $23,785 lands in net take-home pay per year ($915 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,795 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Jonesboro, AR?

On the median annual salary of $27,580, gross monthly income is $2,298. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,982 per month (or $915 every two weeks).

Is $27,580 a good salary in Jonesboro, AR?

At $27,580, the median salary for food preparation workers is 48.6% of the Jonesboro, AR median household income ($56,738). It is 35% below the $42,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.