Salem, OR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Salem, OR?

In the Salem, OR metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $37,300 a year ($17.93 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 990 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $55,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,510 and $48,590; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Oregon tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,902 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Salem, OR at a glance

Median salary

$37,300$17.93 per hour · $3,108 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,510$15.15/hr
25th percentile$34,520$16.60/hr
75th percentile$42,870$20.61/hr
90th percentile$48,590$23.36/hr
Jobs in this metro990Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $55,310
Against Oregonabout the same asStatewide median $37,450
Against the U.S.6% 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 Salem, OR after taxes

$37,300
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,300
Net 80%
Fed 6%
OR 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,902After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,492Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,150Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,296 / yr
Oregon state income tax$2,249 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,853 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Salem, OR, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Salem, OR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OR)
10th percentile$15.15/hr$2,626$31,510$25,695
25th percentile$16.60/hr$2,877$34,520$27,882
MedianMedian$17.93/hr$3,108$37,300$29,902
75th percentile$20.61/hr$3,573$42,870$33,948
90th percentile$23.36/hr$4,049$48,590$38,104

Is $37,300 a good salary in Salem, OR?

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$78,900Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.63.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.3%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Salem, OR: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Salem, OR?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Salem, OR metro area was $37,300 in May 2025, about $3,108 a month or $17.93 an hour. Statewide, the Oregon median for this job is $37,450, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Salem, OR?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Salem, OR was $17.93 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.15 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.36.

How many food preparation workers work in Salem, OR?

BLS estimated 990 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Salem, OR?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Salem, OR run from $31,510 at the 10th percentile to $34,520 at the 25th, $42,870 at the 75th, and $48,590 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Salem, OR?

On a median gross salary of $37,300, an estimated $29,902 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,150 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Oregon in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,398 (an effective rate of 19.8%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Salem, OR?

On the median annual salary of $37,300, gross monthly income is $3,108. After federal, FICA, and Oregon state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,492 per month (or $1,150 every two weeks).

Is $37,300 a good salary in Salem, OR?

At $37,300, the median salary for food preparation workers is 47.3% of the Salem, OR median household income ($78,900). It is 33% below the $55,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.