Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $34,560 a year ($16.62 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,780 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,240 and $43,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,708 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$34,560$16.62 per hour · $2,880 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,240$13.58/hr
25th percentile$31,220$15.01/hr
75th percentile$37,220$17.89/hr
90th percentile$43,300$20.82/hr
Jobs in this metro10,780Location quotient 0.65 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware4% belowStatewide median $35,930
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $35,320

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Food preparation worker salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$34,560
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,560
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,708After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,392Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,104Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,967 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,241 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,644 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$13.58/hr$2,353$28,240$23,975
25th percentile$15.01/hr$2,602$31,220$26,209
MedianMedian$16.62/hr$2,880$34,560$28,708
75th percentile$17.89/hr$3,102$37,220$30,697
90th percentile$20.82/hr$3,608$43,300$35,245

Is $34,560 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.9%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $34,560 in May 2025, about $2,880 a month or $16.62 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $35,930, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $16.62 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.58 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.82.

How many food preparation workers work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 10,780 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.65 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $28,240 at the 10th percentile to $31,220 at the 25th, $37,220 at the 75th, and $43,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $34,560, an estimated $28,708 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,104 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,852 (an effective rate of 16.9%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $34,560, gross monthly income is $2,880. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,392 per month (or $1,104 every two weeks).

Is $34,560 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $34,560, the median salary for food preparation workers is 37.9% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 36% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.