Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA?

In the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $37,680 a year ($18.11 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,910 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $52,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,660 and $50,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,966 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA at a glance

Median salary

$37,680$18.11 per hour · $3,140 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,660$16.66/hr
25th percentile$35,740$17.19/hr
75th percentile$43,440$20.89/hr
90th percentile$50,980$24.51/hr
Jobs in this metro1,910Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $52,510
Against California4% belowStatewide median $39,350
Against the U.S.7% 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA after taxes

$37,680
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,680
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,966After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,664Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,229Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,342 / yr
California state income tax$490 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,883 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.66/hr$2,888$34,660$29,660
25th percentile$17.19/hr$2,978$35,740$30,485
MedianMedian$18.11/hr$3,140$37,680$31,966
75th percentile$20.89/hr$3,620$43,440$36,364
90th percentile$24.51/hr$4,248$50,980$42,044

Is $37,680 a good salary in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA?

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$109,797Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.510.5% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household34.3%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area was $37,680 in May 2025, about $3,140 a month or $18.11 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA was $18.11 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.66 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.51.

How many food preparation workers work in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

BLS estimated 1,910 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 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA run from $34,660 at the 10th percentile to $35,740 at the 25th, $43,440 at the 75th, and $50,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

On a median gross salary of $37,680, an estimated $31,966 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,229 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,714 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

On the median annual salary of $37,680, gross monthly income is $3,140. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,664 per month (or $1,229 every two weeks).

Is $37,680 a good salary in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA?

At $37,680, the median salary for food preparation workers is 34.3% of the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA median household income ($109,797). It is 28% below the $52,510 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.5, so prices here run 10.5% above the U.S. average.