Kansas City, MO-KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Kansas City, MO?

In the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $32,230 a year ($15.49 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,080 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $50,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,180 and $43,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,065 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Kansas City, MO at a glance

Median salary

$32,230$15.49 per hour · $2,686 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,180$13.55/hr
25th percentile$29,820$14.34/hr
75th percentile$37,440$18.00/hr
90th percentile$43,240$20.79/hr
Jobs in this metro5,080Location quotient 0.81 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $50,820
Against Kansas6% aboveStatewide median $30,280
Against the U.S.9% 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 Kansas City, MO after taxes

$32,230
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,230
Net 84%
Fed 5%
KS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,065After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,255Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,041Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,688 / yr
Kansas state income tax$1,012 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,466 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Kansas City, MO, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$13.55/hr$2,348$28,180$24,015
25th percentile$14.34/hr$2,485$29,820$25,254
MedianMedian$15.49/hr$2,686$32,230$27,065
75th percentile$18.00/hr$3,120$37,440$30,974
90th percentile$20.79/hr$3,603$43,240$35,310

Is $32,230 a good salary in Kansas City, MO?

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$83,460Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.57.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Kansas City, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Kansas City, MO-KS?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area was $32,230 in May 2025, about $2,686 a month or $15.49 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $30,280, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Kansas City, MO-KS?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Kansas City, MO-KS was $15.49 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.55 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.79.

How many food preparation workers work in Kansas City, MO-KS?

BLS estimated 5,080 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Kansas City, MO-KS?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Kansas City, MO-KS run from $28,180 at the 10th percentile to $29,820 at the 25th, $37,440 at the 75th, and $43,240 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Kansas City, MO-KS?

On a median gross salary of $32,230, an estimated $27,065 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,041 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,165 (an effective rate of 16%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Kansas City, MO-KS?

On the median annual salary of $32,230, gross monthly income is $2,686. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,255 per month (or $1,041 every two weeks).

Is $32,230 a good salary in Kansas City, MO-KS?

At $32,230, the median salary for food preparation workers is 38.6% of the Kansas City, MO-KS median household income ($83,460). It is 37% below the $50,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.5, so prices here run 7.5% below the U.S. average.