Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

In the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $29,000 a year ($13.94 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 300 of these jobs there. That is 32% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,400 and $36,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,833 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC at a glance

Median salary

$29,000$13.94 per hour · $2,417 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,400$10.77/hr
25th percentile$26,190$12.59/hr
75th percentile$34,340$16.51/hr
90th percentile$36,890$17.74/hr
Jobs in this metro300Location quotient 1.20 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here32% belowAll-jobs median $42,920
Against North Carolina4% belowStatewide median $30,260
Against the U.S.18% 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC after taxes

$29,000
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,000
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,833After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,069Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$955Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,300 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$648 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,219 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.77/hr$1,867$22,400$19,671
25th percentile$12.59/hr$2,183$26,190$22,641
MedianMedian$13.94/hr$2,417$29,000$24,833
75th percentile$16.51/hr$2,862$34,340$28,911
90th percentile$17.74/hr$3,074$36,890$30,858

Is $29,000 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

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$86,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.311.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household33.7%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro area was $29,000 in May 2025, about $2,417 a month or $13.94 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC was $13.94 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.77 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.74.

How many food preparation workers work in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS estimated 300 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.20 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC run from $22,400 at the 10th percentile to $26,190 at the 25th, $34,340 at the 75th, and $36,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On a median gross salary of $29,000, an estimated $24,833 lands in net take-home pay per year ($955 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,167 (an effective rate of 14.4%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

On the median annual salary of $29,000, gross monthly income is $2,417. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,069 per month (or $955 every two weeks).

Is $29,000 a good salary in Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC?

At $29,000, the median salary for food preparation workers is 33.7% of the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC median household income ($86,080). It is 32% below the $42,920 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.3, so prices here run 11.7% below the U.S. average.