Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN?

In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,100 a year ($16.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 16,810 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $59,320 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,250 and $46,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Minnesota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,324 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN at a glance

Median salary

$35,100$16.87 per hour · $2,925 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,250$14.54/hr
25th percentile$30,710$14.77/hr
75th percentile$38,790$18.65/hr
90th percentile$46,690$22.45/hr
Jobs in this metro16,810Location quotient 1.50 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $59,320
Against Minnesota1% aboveStatewide median $34,850
Against the U.S.1% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN after taxes

$35,100
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,100
Net 84%
Fed 6%
MN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,324After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,444Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,128Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,032 / yr
Minnesota state income tax$1,059 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,685 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MN)
10th percentile$14.54/hr$2,521$30,250$25,686
25th percentile$14.77/hr$2,559$30,710$26,031
MedianMedian$16.87/hr$2,925$35,100$29,324
75th percentile$18.65/hr$3,233$38,790$32,091
90th percentile$22.45/hr$3,891$46,690$38,016

Is $35,100 a good salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN?

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$99,833Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.84.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household35.2%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area was $35,100 in May 2025, about $2,925 a month or $16.87 an hour. Statewide, the Minnesota median for this job is $34,850, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI was $16.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.54 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.45.

How many food preparation workers work in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

BLS estimated 16,810 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.50 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI run from $30,250 at the 10th percentile to $30,710 at the 25th, $38,790 at the 75th, and $46,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

On a median gross salary of $35,100, an estimated $29,324 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,128 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Minnesota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,776 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

On the median annual salary of $35,100, gross monthly income is $2,925. After federal, FICA, and Minnesota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,444 per month (or $1,128 every two weeks).

Is $35,100 a good salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?

At $35,100, the median salary for food preparation workers is 35.2% of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI median household income ($99,833). It is 41% below the $59,320 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.8, so prices here run 4.8% above the U.S. average.