Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL?

In the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,870 a year ($17.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,050 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $49,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,700 and $42,860; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,002 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL at a glance

Median salary

$35,870$17.25 per hour · $2,989 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,700$13.32/hr
25th percentile$29,370$14.12/hr
75th percentile$38,510$18.52/hr
90th percentile$42,860$20.60/hr
Jobs in this metro2,050Location quotient 1.46 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $49,030
Against Floridaabout the same asStatewide median $35,920
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 Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL after taxes

$35,870
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,870
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,002After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,583Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,192Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,124 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,744 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.32/hr$2,308$27,700$24,421
25th percentile$14.12/hr$2,448$29,370$25,779
MedianMedian$17.25/hr$2,989$35,870$31,002
75th percentile$18.52/hr$3,209$38,510$33,123
90th percentile$20.60/hr$3,572$42,860$36,618

Is $35,870 a good salary in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL?

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$78,476Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.0Exact national baseline
One paycheck vs. a household45.7%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area was $35,870 in May 2025, about $2,989 a month or $17.25 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,920, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL was $17.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.32 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.60.

How many food preparation workers work in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

BLS estimated 2,050 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.46 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL run from $27,700 at the 10th percentile to $29,370 at the 25th, $38,510 at the 75th, and $42,860 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

On a median gross salary of $35,870, an estimated $31,002 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,192 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,868 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

On the median annual salary of $35,870, gross monthly income is $2,989. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,583 per month (or $1,192 every two weeks).

Is $35,870 a good salary in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL?

At $35,870, the median salary for food preparation workers is 45.7% of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL median household income ($78,476). It is 27% below the $49,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.0, so prices here run 0% above the U.S. average.