Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Sacramento-Roseville, CA?

In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $38,480 a year ($18.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,510 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $59,750 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,860 and $48,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,577 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Sacramento-Roseville, CA at a glance

Median salary

$38,480$18.50 per hour · $3,207 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,860$16.76/hr
25th percentile$35,880$17.25/hr
75th percentile$43,950$21.13/hr
90th percentile$48,980$23.55/hr
Jobs in this metro5,510Location quotient 0.89 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $59,750
Against California2% belowStatewide median $39,350
Against the U.S.9% 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 Sacramento-Roseville, CA after taxes

$38,480
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,480
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,577After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,715Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,253Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,438 / yr
California state income tax$522 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,944 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Sacramento-Roseville, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.76/hr$2,905$34,860$29,813
25th percentile$17.25/hr$2,990$35,880$30,592
MedianMedian$18.50/hr$3,207$38,480$32,577
75th percentile$21.13/hr$3,663$43,950$36,753
90th percentile$23.55/hr$4,082$48,980$40,557

Is $38,480 a good salary in Sacramento-Roseville, CA?

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$97,188Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)106.76.7% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.6%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Sacramento-Roseville, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area was $38,480 in May 2025, about $3,207 a month or $18.50 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA was $18.50 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.76 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.55.

How many food preparation workers work in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

BLS estimated 5,510 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.89 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA run from $34,860 at the 10th percentile to $35,880 at the 25th, $43,950 at the 75th, and $48,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

On a median gross salary of $38,480, an estimated $32,577 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,253 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,903 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

On the median annual salary of $38,480, gross monthly income is $3,207. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,715 per month (or $1,253 every two weeks).

Is $38,480 a good salary in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA?

At $38,480, the median salary for food preparation workers is 39.6% of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA median household income ($97,188). It is 36% below the $59,750 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 106.7, so prices here run 6.7% above the U.S. average.