Food preparation worker pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA at a glance
Median salary
$39,770$19.12 per hour · $3,314 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (CA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.31/hr | $3,000 | $36,000 | $30,683 |
| 25th percentile | $18.03/hr | $3,125 | $37,500 | $31,829 |
| MedianMedian | $19.12/hr | $3,314 | $39,770 | $33,562 |
| 75th percentile | $21.24/hr | $3,681 | $44,170 | $36,921 |
| 90th percentile | $22.51/hr | $3,901 | $46,810 | $38,937 |
Is $39,770 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?
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 California and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area was $39,770 in May 2025, about $3,314 a month or $19.12 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 1% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA was $19.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.31 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.51.
How many food preparation workers work in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
BLS estimated 44,930 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.25 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA run from $36,000 at the 10th percentile to $37,500 at the 25th, $44,170 at the 75th, and $46,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
On a median gross salary of $39,770, an estimated $33,562 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,291 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,208 (an effective rate of 15.6%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
On the median annual salary of $39,770, gross monthly income is $3,314. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,797 per month (or $1,291 every two weeks).
Is $39,770 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
At $39,770, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.4% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median household income ($95,958). It is 29% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 113.6, so prices here run 13.6% above the U.S. average.