Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

In the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,630 a year ($17.13 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 340 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $49,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,410 and $44,410; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Maine tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,960 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Lewiston-Auburn, ME at a glance

Median salary

$35,630$17.13 per hour · $2,969 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,410$15.10/hr
25th percentile$32,130$15.45/hr
75th percentile$37,260$17.91/hr
90th percentile$44,410$21.35/hr
Jobs in this metro340Location quotient 1.24 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $49,540
Against Maine1% belowStatewide median $36,030
Against the U.S.1% aboveNational median $35,320

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Food preparation worker salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME after taxes

$35,630
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,630
Net 84%
Fed 6%
ME 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,960After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,497Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,152Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,096 / yr
Maine state income tax$849 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,726 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Lewiston-Auburn, ME, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (ME)
10th percentile$15.10/hr$2,618$31,410$26,814
25th percentile$15.45/hr$2,678$32,130$27,351
MedianMedian$17.13/hr$2,969$35,630$29,960
75th percentile$17.91/hr$3,105$37,260$31,175
90th percentile$21.35/hr$3,701$44,410$36,506

Is $35,630 a good salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

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$67,873Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)94.75.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.5%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Lewiston-Auburn, ME: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area was $35,630 in May 2025, about $2,969 a month or $17.13 an hour. Statewide, the Maine median for this job is $36,030, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Lewiston-Auburn, ME was $17.13 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.10 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.35.

How many food preparation workers work in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

BLS estimated 340 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.24 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Lewiston-Auburn, ME run from $31,410 at the 10th percentile to $32,130 at the 25th, $37,260 at the 75th, and $44,410 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

On a median gross salary of $35,630, an estimated $29,960 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,152 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maine in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,670 (an effective rate of 15.9%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

On the median annual salary of $35,630, gross monthly income is $2,969. After federal, FICA, and Maine state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,497 per month (or $1,152 every two weeks).

Is $35,630 a good salary in Lewiston-Auburn, ME?

At $35,630, the median salary for food preparation workers is 52.5% of the Lewiston-Auburn, ME median household income ($67,873). It is 28% below the $49,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 94.7, so prices here run 5.3% below the U.S. average.