Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $42,640 a year ($20.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,410 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $56,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,060 and $51,530; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,753 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA at a glance

Median salary

$42,640$20.50 per hour · $3,553 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,060$17.34/hr
25th percentile$37,960$18.25/hr
75th percentile$46,080$22.15/hr
90th percentile$51,530$24.78/hr
Jobs in this metro1,410Location quotient 1.19 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $56,850
Against California8% aboveStatewide median $39,350
Against the U.S.21% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA after taxes

$42,640
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,640
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,753After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,979Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,375Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,937 / yr
California state income tax$688 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,262 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, hourly and yearly

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.34/hr$3,005$36,060$30,729
25th percentile$18.25/hr$3,163$37,960$32,180
MedianMedian$20.50/hr$3,553$42,640$35,753
75th percentile$22.15/hr$3,840$46,080$38,379
90th percentile$24.78/hr$4,294$51,530$42,453

Is $42,640 a good salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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$104,674Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)107.87.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.7%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area was $42,640 in May 2025, about $3,553 a month or $20.50 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 8% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA was $20.50 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $24.78.

How many food preparation workers work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

BLS estimated 1,410 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 6.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.19 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA run from $36,060 at the 10th percentile to $37,960 at the 25th, $46,080 at the 75th, and $51,530 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

On a median gross salary of $42,640, an estimated $35,753 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,375 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,887 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

On the median annual salary of $42,640, gross monthly income is $3,553. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,979 per month (or $1,375 every two weeks).

Is $42,640 a good salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?

At $42,640, the median salary for food preparation workers is 40.7% of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA median household income ($104,674). It is 25% below the $56,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 107.8, so prices here run 7.8% above the U.S. average.