Rocky Mount, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Rocky Mount, NC?

In the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $28,850 a year ($13.87 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 260 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,900 and $37,090; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,719 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Rocky Mount, NC at a glance

Median salary

$28,850$13.87 per hour · $2,404 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,900$10.53/hr
25th percentile$24,130$11.60/hr
75th percentile$33,680$16.19/hr
90th percentile$37,090$17.83/hr
Jobs in this metro260Location quotient 0.82 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $43,960
Against North Carolina5% 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 Rocky Mount, NC after taxes

$28,850
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,850
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,719After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,060Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$951Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,282 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$642 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,207 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Rocky Mount, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.53/hr$1,825$21,900$19,280
25th percentile$11.60/hr$2,011$24,130$21,027
MedianMedian$13.87/hr$2,404$28,850$24,719
75th percentile$16.19/hr$2,807$33,680$28,407
90th percentile$17.83/hr$3,091$37,090$31,011

Is $28,850 a good salary in Rocky Mount, 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$59,636Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.012% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.4%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Rocky Mount, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Rocky Mount, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area was $28,850 in May 2025, about $2,404 a month or $13.87 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Rocky Mount, NC?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Rocky Mount, NC was $13.87 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.53 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.83.

How many food preparation workers work in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS estimated 260 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.82 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Rocky Mount, NC run from $21,900 at the 10th percentile to $24,130 at the 25th, $33,680 at the 75th, and $37,090 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Rocky Mount, NC?

On a median gross salary of $28,850, an estimated $24,719 lands in net take-home pay per year ($951 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,131 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Rocky Mount, NC?

On the median annual salary of $28,850, gross monthly income is $2,404. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,060 per month (or $951 every two weeks).

Is $28,850 a good salary in Rocky Mount, NC?

At $28,850, the median salary for food preparation workers is 48.4% of the Rocky Mount, NC median household income ($59,636). It is 34% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.0, so prices here run 12% below the U.S. average.