McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?

In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $26,960 a year ($12.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,750 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $35,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,670 and $38,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,812 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in McAllen-Edinburg, TX at a glance

Median salary

$26,960$12.96 per hour · $2,247 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,670$9.94/hr
25th percentile$22,990$11.05/hr
75th percentile$35,900$17.26/hr
90th percentile$38,010$18.27/hr
Jobs in this metro1,750Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $35,830
Against Texas12% belowStatewide median $30,650
Against the U.S.24% 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 McAllen-Edinburg, TX after taxes

$26,960
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,960
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,812After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,984Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$916Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,086 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,062 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in McAllen-Edinburg, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$9.94/hr$1,723$20,670$18,632
25th percentile$11.05/hr$1,916$22,990$20,542
MedianMedian$12.96/hr$2,247$26,960$23,812
75th percentile$17.26/hr$2,992$35,900$31,026
90th percentile$18.27/hr$3,168$38,010$32,721

Is $26,960 a good salary in McAllen-Edinburg, TX?

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$54,338Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in McAllen-Edinburg, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area was $26,960 in May 2025, about $2,247 a month or $12.96 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $30,650, so the metro pays 12% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX was $12.96 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.94 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.27.

How many food preparation workers work in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

BLS estimated 1,750 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX run from $20,670 at the 10th percentile to $22,990 at the 25th, $35,900 at the 75th, and $38,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

On a median gross salary of $26,960, an estimated $23,812 lands in net take-home pay per year ($916 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,148 (an effective rate of 11.7%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

On the median annual salary of $26,960, gross monthly income is $2,247. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,984 per month (or $916 every two weeks).

Is $26,960 a good salary in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?

At $26,960, the median salary for food preparation workers is 49.6% of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX median household income ($54,338). It is 25% below the $35,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.