Montgomery, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Montgomery, AL?

In the Montgomery, AL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $27,420 a year ($13.18 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,470 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $44,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,820 and $35,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,137 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Montgomery, AL at a glance

Median salary

$27,420$13.18 per hour · $2,285 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,820$10.01/hr
25th percentile$20,870$10.03/hr
75th percentile$32,170$15.47/hr
90th percentile$35,990$17.30/hr
Jobs in this metro1,470Location quotient 1.54 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $44,950
Against Alabama2% belowStatewide median $27,930
Against the U.S.22% 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 Montgomery, AL after taxes

$27,420
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,420
Net 84%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,137After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,928Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$890Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,132 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,053 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,098 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Montgomery, AL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Montgomery, AL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Montgomery, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$10.01/hr$1,735$20,820$18,003
25th percentile$10.03/hr$1,739$20,870$18,042
MedianMedian$13.18/hr$2,285$27,420$23,137
75th percentile$15.47/hr$2,681$32,170$26,753
90th percentile$17.30/hr$2,999$35,990$29,645

Is $27,420 a good salary in Montgomery, AL?

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$64,010Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.710.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.8%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Montgomery, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Montgomery, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Montgomery, AL metro area was $27,420 in May 2025, about $2,285 a month or $13.18 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $27,930, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Montgomery, AL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Montgomery, AL was $13.18 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.01 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.30.

How many food preparation workers work in Montgomery, AL?

BLS estimated 1,470 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.54 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Montgomery, AL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Montgomery, AL run from $20,820 at the 10th percentile to $20,870 at the 25th, $32,170 at the 75th, and $35,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Montgomery, AL?

On a median gross salary of $27,420, an estimated $23,137 lands in net take-home pay per year ($890 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,283 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Montgomery, AL?

On the median annual salary of $27,420, gross monthly income is $2,285. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,928 per month (or $890 every two weeks).

Is $27,420 a good salary in Montgomery, AL?

At $27,420, the median salary for food preparation workers is 42.8% of the Montgomery, AL median household income ($64,010). It is 39% below the $44,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.7, so prices here run 10.3% below the U.S. average.