Food preparation worker pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA at a glance
Median salary
$43,830$21.07 per hour · $3,653 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Seattle-Tacoma, WA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (WA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.03/hr | $2,951 | $35,410 | $30,632 |
| 25th percentile | $18.33/hr | $3,177 | $38,120 | $32,809 |
| MedianMedian | $21.07/hr | $3,653 | $43,830 | $37,397 |
| 75th percentile | $23.65/hr | $4,099 | $49,190 | $41,704 |
| 90th percentile | $26.30/hr | $4,558 | $54,700 | $46,131 |
Is $43,830 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?
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 Washington and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Seattle-Tacoma, WA: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area was $43,830 in May 2025, about $3,653 a month or $21.07 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $40,910, so the metro pays 7% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA was $21.07 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.03 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.30.
How many food preparation workers work in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
BLS estimated 11,060 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.92 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA run from $35,410 at the 10th percentile to $38,120 at the 25th, $49,190 at the 75th, and $54,700 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
On a median gross salary of $43,830, an estimated $37,397 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,438 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,433 (an effective rate of 14.7%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
On the median annual salary of $43,830, gross monthly income is $3,653. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,116 per month (or $1,438 every two weeks).
Is $43,830 a good salary in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
At $43,830, the median salary for food preparation workers is 38.1% of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median household income ($115,177). It is 40% below the $72,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.1, so prices here run 11.1% above the U.S. average.