Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

In the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $46,680 a year ($22.44 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 720 of these jobs there. That is 19% below the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,510 and $70,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Hawaii tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $37,902 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Kahului-Wailuku, HI at a glance

Median salary

$46,680$22.44 per hour · $3,890 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,510$16.59/hr
25th percentile$36,780$17.68/hr
75th percentile$53,130$25.54/hr
90th percentile$70,710$34.00/hr
Jobs in this metro720Location quotient 1.70 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here19% belowAll-jobs median $57,640
Against Hawaii22% aboveStatewide median $38,160
Against the U.S.32% aboveNational 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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI after taxes

$46,680
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$46,680
Net 81%
Fed 7%
HI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$37,902After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,158Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,458Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,422 / yr
Hawaii state income tax$1,786 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,571 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Kahului-Wailuku, HI, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (HI)
10th percentile$16.59/hr$2,876$34,510$28,957
25th percentile$17.68/hr$3,065$36,780$30,626
MedianMedian$22.44/hr$3,890$46,680$37,902
75th percentile$25.54/hr$4,428$53,130$42,620
90th percentile$34.00/hr$5,893$70,710$55,004

Is $46,680 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

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$97,109Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.49.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.1%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Kahului-Wailuku, HI: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area was $46,680 in May 2025, about $3,890 a month or $22.44 an hour. Statewide, the Hawaii median for this job is $38,160, so the metro pays 22% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Kahului-Wailuku, HI was $22.44 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $34.00.

How many food preparation workers work in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS estimated 720 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 9.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.70 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Kahului-Wailuku, HI run from $34,510 at the 10th percentile to $36,780 at the 25th, $53,130 at the 75th, and $70,710 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On a median gross salary of $46,680, an estimated $37,902 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,458 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Hawaii in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,778 (an effective rate of 18.8%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On the median annual salary of $46,680, gross monthly income is $3,890. After federal, FICA, and Hawaii state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,158 per month (or $1,458 every two weeks).

Is $46,680 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

At $46,680, the median salary for food preparation workers is 48.1% of the Kahului-Wailuku, HI median household income ($97,109). It is 19% below the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.4, so prices here run 9.4% above the U.S. average.