Food preparation worker pay in Knoxville, TN at a glance
Median salary
$30,960$14.89 per hour · $2,580 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Knoxville, TN after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Knoxville, TN, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (TN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $10.81/hr | $1,873 | $22,480 | $20,122 |
| 25th percentile | $12.34/hr | $2,139 | $25,670 | $22,749 |
| MedianMedian | $14.89/hr | $2,580 | $30,960 | $27,056 |
| 75th percentile | $17.02/hr | $2,950 | $35,400 | $30,624 |
| 90th percentile | $18.78/hr | $3,255 | $39,060 | $33,565 |
Is $30,960 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.
Food preparation workers pay in Tennessee and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Knoxville, TN: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Knoxville, TN?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Knoxville, TN metro area was $30,960 in May 2025, about $2,580 a month or $14.89 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $28,700, so the metro pays 8% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Knoxville, TN?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Knoxville, TN was $14.89 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.81 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.78.
How many food preparation workers work in Knoxville, TN?
BLS estimated 2,510 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.03 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Knoxville, TN?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Knoxville, TN run from $22,480 at the 10th percentile to $25,670 at the 25th, $35,400 at the 75th, and $39,060 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Knoxville, TN?
On a median gross salary of $30,960, an estimated $27,056 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,041 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,904 (an effective rate of 12.6%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Knoxville, TN?
On the median annual salary of $30,960, gross monthly income is $2,580. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,255 per month (or $1,041 every two weeks).
Is $30,960 a good salary in Knoxville, TN?
At $30,960, the median salary for food preparation workers is 42.7% of the Knoxville, TN median household income ($72,422). It is 34% below the $47,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.6, so prices here run 7.4% below the U.S. average.