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Kankakee, IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Kankakee, IL?

In the Kankakee, IL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $31,200 a year ($15.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 270 of these jobs there. That is 32% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $37,390; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,850 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Kankakee, IL at a glance

Median salary

$31,200$15.00 per hour · $2,600 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$34,680$16.67/hr
90th percentile$37,390$17.98/hr
Jobs in this metro270Location quotient 1.10 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here32% belowAll-jobs median $45,830
Against Illinois10% belowStatewide median $34,850
Against the U.S.12% belowNational median $35,320

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Take-home payWhat $31,000 a year leaves after tax in IllinoisFederal tax, FICA and Illinois withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$15 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $31,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $31,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Illinois publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Illinois.

Food preparation worker salary in Kankakee, IL after taxes

$31,200
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,200
Net 83%
Fed 5%
IL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,850After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,154Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$994Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,564 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,400 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,387 / yr
Customize deductions in full Illinois calculator

Food preparation workers pay range in Kankakee, IL, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Kankakee, IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
MedianMedian$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
75th percentile$16.67/hr$2,890$34,680$28,474
90th percentile$17.98/hr$3,116$37,390$30,517

Is $31,200 a good salary in Kankakee, IL?

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$71,281Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.43.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.8%of area median income

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

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Food preparation workers pay in other Illinois metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Kankakee, IL. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Food preparation worker pay in Kankakee, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Kankakee, IL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Kankakee, IL metro area was $31,200 in May 2025, about $2,600 a month or $15.00 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $34,850, so the metro pays 10% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Kankakee, IL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Kankakee, IL was $15.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.98.

How many food preparation workers work in Kankakee, IL?

BLS estimated 270 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.10 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Kankakee, IL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Kankakee, IL run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $34,680 at the 75th, and $37,390 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Kankakee, IL?

On a median gross salary of $31,200, an estimated $25,850 lands in net take-home pay per year ($994 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,350 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Kankakee, IL?

On the median annual salary of $31,200, gross monthly income is $2,600. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,154 per month (or $994 every two weeks).

Is $31,200 a good salary in Kankakee, IL?

At $31,200, the median salary for food preparation workers is 43.8% of the Kankakee, IL median household income ($71,281). It is 32% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.4, so prices here run 3.6% below the U.S. average.