Food preparation worker pay in Reading, PA at a glance
Median salary
$31,580$15.18 per hour · $2,632 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Reading, PA after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Reading, PA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Reading, PA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (PA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $11.04/hr | $1,913 | $22,960 | $19,813 |
| 25th percentile | $13.38/hr | $2,319 | $27,830 | $23,674 |
| MedianMedian | $15.18/hr | $2,632 | $31,580 | $26,585 |
| 75th percentile | $17.31/hr | $3,000 | $36,000 | $30,001 |
| 90th percentile | $19.13/hr | $3,316 | $39,790 | $32,930 |
Is $31,580 a good salary in Reading, PA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.
Food preparation workers pay in Pennsylvania and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Reading, PA: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Reading, PA?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Reading, PA metro area was $31,580 in May 2025, about $2,632 a month or $15.18 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $30,840, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Reading, PA?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Reading, PA was $15.18 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.13.
How many food preparation workers work in Reading, PA?
BLS estimated 590 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.59 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Reading, PA?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Reading, PA run from $22,960 at the 10th percentile to $27,830 at the 25th, $36,000 at the 75th, and $39,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Reading, PA?
On a median gross salary of $31,580, an estimated $26,585 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,023 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,995 (an effective rate of 15.8%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Reading, PA?
On the median annual salary of $31,580, gross monthly income is $2,632. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,215 per month (or $1,023 every two weeks).
Is $31,580 a good salary in Reading, PA?
At $31,580, the median salary for food preparation workers is 39.6% of the Reading, PA median household income ($79,777). It is 36% below the $49,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.1, so prices here run 2.9% below the U.S. average.