Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Little Rock, AR?

In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $27,880 a year ($13.41 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,840 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $45,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,420 and $36,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,022 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Little Rock, AR at a glance

Median salary

$27,880$13.41 per hour · $2,323 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,420$11.74/hr
25th percentile$26,790$12.88/hr
75th percentile$33,790$16.25/hr
90th percentile$36,190$17.40/hr
Jobs in this metro1,840Location quotient 0.90 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $45,790
Against Arkansas1% aboveStatewide median $27,660
Against the U.S.21% 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 Little Rock, AR after taxes

$27,880
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,880
Net 86%
Fed 4%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,022After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,002Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$924Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,178 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$547 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,133 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Little Rock, AR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$11.74/hr$2,035$24,420$21,291
25th percentile$12.88/hr$2,233$26,790$23,162
MedianMedian$13.41/hr$2,323$27,880$24,022
75th percentile$16.25/hr$2,816$33,790$28,558
90th percentile$17.40/hr$3,016$36,190$30,393

Is $27,880 a good salary in Little Rock, AR?

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$67,154Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.410.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.5%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Little Rock, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area was $27,880 in May 2025, about $2,323 a month or $13.41 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $27,660, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR was $13.41 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.74 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.40.

How many food preparation workers work in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

BLS estimated 1,840 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.90 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR run from $24,420 at the 10th percentile to $26,790 at the 25th, $33,790 at the 75th, and $36,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

On a median gross salary of $27,880, an estimated $24,022 lands in net take-home pay per year ($924 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,858 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

On the median annual salary of $27,880, gross monthly income is $2,323. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,002 per month (or $924 every two weeks).

Is $27,880 a good salary in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?

At $27,880, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.5% of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR median household income ($67,154). It is 39% below the $45,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.4, so prices here run 10.6% below the U.S. average.