Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Slidell-Mandeville, LA?

In the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $24,380 a year ($11.72 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,070 of these jobs there. That is 44% below the $43,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $17,670 and $34,490; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Louisiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $21,342 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Slidell-Mandeville, LA at a glance

Median salary

$24,380$11.72 per hour · $2,032 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$17,670$8.49/hr
25th percentile$22,550$10.84/hr
75th percentile$29,790$14.32/hr
90th percentile$34,490$16.58/hr
Jobs in this metro2,070Location quotient 3.68 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here44% belowAll-jobs median $43,710
Against Louisiana3% aboveStatewide median $23,620
Against the U.S.31% belowNational 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 Slidell-Mandeville, LA after taxes

$24,380
$15,000$50,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$24,380
Net 88%
Fed 3%
LA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$21,342After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,778Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$821Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$828 / yr
Louisiana state income tax$345 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,865 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Slidell-Mandeville, LA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (LA)
10th percentile$8.49/hr$1,473$17,670$16,017
25th percentile$10.84/hr$1,879$22,550$19,890
MedianMedian$11.72/hr$2,032$24,380$21,342
75th percentile$14.32/hr$2,483$29,790$25,609
90th percentile$16.58/hr$2,874$34,490$29,244

Is $24,380 a good salary in Slidell-Mandeville, LA?

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$81,202Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household30%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Slidell-Mandeville, LA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area was $24,380 in May 2025, about $2,032 a month or $11.72 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $23,620, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA was $11.72 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $8.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.58.

How many food preparation workers work in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

BLS estimated 2,070 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 21.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 3.68 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA run from $17,670 at the 10th percentile to $22,550 at the 25th, $29,790 at the 75th, and $34,490 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

On a median gross salary of $24,380, an estimated $21,342 lands in net take-home pay per year ($821 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,038 (an effective rate of 12.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

On the median annual salary of $24,380, gross monthly income is $2,032. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,778 per month (or $821 every two weeks).

Is $24,380 a good salary in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

At $24,380, the median salary for food preparation workers is 30% of the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA median household income ($81,202). It is 44% below the $43,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.