Odessa, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Odessa, TX?

In the Odessa, TX metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $30,550 a year ($14.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 470 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $48,590 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,980 and $39,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,727 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Odessa, TX at a glance

Median salary

$30,550$14.69 per hour · $2,546 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,980$11.05/hr
25th percentile$27,120$13.04/hr
75th percentile$37,290$17.93/hr
90th percentile$39,600$19.04/hr
Jobs in this metro470Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $48,590
Against Texasabout the same asStatewide median $30,650
Against the U.S.14% 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 Odessa, TX after taxes

$30,550
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,550
Net 87%
Fed 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,727After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,227Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,028Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,486 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,337 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Odessa, TX, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Odessa, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$11.05/hr$1,915$22,980$20,534
25th percentile$13.04/hr$2,260$27,120$23,943
MedianMedian$14.69/hr$2,546$30,550$26,727
75th percentile$17.93/hr$3,108$37,290$32,143
90th percentile$19.04/hr$3,300$39,600$33,999

Is $30,550 a good salary in Odessa, 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$71,536Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.96.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.7%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Odessa, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Odessa, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Odessa, TX metro area was $30,550 in May 2025, about $2,546 a month or $14.69 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $30,650, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Odessa, TX?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Odessa, TX was $14.69 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.05 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.04.

How many food preparation workers work in Odessa, TX?

BLS estimated 470 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 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 Odessa, TX?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Odessa, TX run from $22,980 at the 10th percentile to $27,120 at the 25th, $37,290 at the 75th, and $39,600 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Odessa, TX?

On a median gross salary of $30,550, an estimated $26,727 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,028 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,823 (an effective rate of 12.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Odessa, TX?

On the median annual salary of $30,550, gross monthly income is $2,546. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,227 per month (or $1,028 every two weeks).

Is $30,550 a good salary in Odessa, TX?

At $30,550, the median salary for food preparation workers is 42.7% of the Odessa, TX median household income ($71,536). It is 37% below the $48,590 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.9, so prices here run 6.1% below the U.S. average.