Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?

In the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $29,640 a year ($14.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,910 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $48,370 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,250 and $39,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,151 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY at a glance

Median salary

$29,640$14.25 per hour · $2,470 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,250$10.22/hr
25th percentile$26,540$12.76/hr
75th percentile$36,470$17.53/hr
90th percentile$39,980$19.22/hr
Jobs in this metro4,910Location quotient 1.25 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $48,370
Against Indianaabout the same asStatewide median $29,700
Against the U.S.16% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY after taxes

$29,640
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,640
Net 85%
Fed 5%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,151After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,096Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$967Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,377 / yr
Indiana state income tax$845 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,267 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$10.22/hr$1,771$21,250$18,512
25th percentile$12.76/hr$2,212$26,540$22,712
MedianMedian$14.25/hr$2,470$29,640$25,151
75th percentile$17.53/hr$3,039$36,470$30,437
90th percentile$19.22/hr$3,332$39,980$33,154

Is $29,640 a good salary in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?

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$73,863Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.16.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.1%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area was $29,640 in May 2025, about $2,470 a month or $14.25 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $29,700, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN was $14.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.22.

How many food preparation workers work in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

BLS estimated 4,910 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN run from $21,250 at the 10th percentile to $26,540 at the 25th, $36,470 at the 75th, and $39,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

On a median gross salary of $29,640, an estimated $25,151 lands in net take-home pay per year ($967 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,489 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

On the median annual salary of $29,640, gross monthly income is $2,470. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,096 per month (or $967 every two weeks).

Is $29,640 a good salary in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?

At $29,640, the median salary for food preparation workers is 40.1% of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN median household income ($73,863). It is 39% below the $48,370 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.1, so prices here run 6.9% below the U.S. average.