Omaha, NE-IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Omaha, NE?

In the Omaha, NE-IA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $36,140 a year ($17.37 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,690 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,100 and $43,680; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,497 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Omaha, NE at a glance

Median salary

$36,140$17.37 per hour · $3,012 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,100$13.99/hr
25th percentile$29,800$14.33/hr
75th percentile$37,930$18.24/hr
90th percentile$43,680$21.00/hr
Jobs in this metro3,690Location quotient 1.29 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $49,660
Against Iowa19% aboveStatewide median $30,360
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational 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 Omaha, NE after taxes

$36,140
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,140
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,497After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,541Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,173Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,157 / yr
Iowa state income tax$722 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,765 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Omaha, NE, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Omaha, NE-IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$13.99/hr$2,425$29,100$25,108
25th percentile$14.33/hr$2,483$29,800$25,644
MedianMedian$17.37/hr$3,012$36,140$30,497
75th percentile$18.24/hr$3,161$37,930$31,867
90th percentile$21.00/hr$3,640$43,680$36,269

Is $36,140 a good salary in Omaha, NE?

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$84,829Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.98.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Omaha, NE: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Omaha, NE-IA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Omaha, NE-IA metro area was $36,140 in May 2025, about $3,012 a month or $17.37 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $30,360, so the metro pays 19% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Omaha, NE-IA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Omaha, NE-IA was $17.37 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.99 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.00.

How many food preparation workers work in Omaha, NE-IA?

BLS estimated 3,690 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.29 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Omaha, NE-IA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Omaha, NE-IA run from $29,100 at the 10th percentile to $29,800 at the 25th, $37,930 at the 75th, and $43,680 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Omaha, NE-IA?

On a median gross salary of $36,140, an estimated $30,497 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,173 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,643 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Omaha, NE-IA?

On the median annual salary of $36,140, gross monthly income is $3,012. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,541 per month (or $1,173 every two weeks).

Is $36,140 a good salary in Omaha, NE-IA?

At $36,140, the median salary for food preparation workers is 42.6% of the Omaha, NE-IA median household income ($84,829). It is 27% below the $49,660 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.9, so prices here run 8.1% below the U.S. average.