Food preparation worker pay in St. Louis, MO at a glance
Median salary
$32,400$15.58 per hour · $2,700 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in St. Louis, MO after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in St. Louis, MO, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (IL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.37/hr | $2,490 | $29,880 | $24,854 |
| 25th percentile | $14.98/hr | $2,597 | $31,160 | $25,819 |
| MedianMedian | $15.58/hr | $2,700 | $32,400 | $26,754 |
| 75th percentile | $17.81/hr | $3,088 | $37,050 | $30,260 |
| 90th percentile | $19.24/hr | $3,336 | $40,030 | $32,507 |
Is $32,400 a good salary in St. Louis, MO?
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 Illinois and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in St. Louis, MO: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area was $32,400 in May 2025, about $2,700 a month or $15.58 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $34,850, so the metro pays 7% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in St. Louis, MO-IL was $15.58 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.37 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.24.
How many food preparation workers work in St. Louis, MO-IL?
BLS estimated 6,220 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.81 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in St. Louis, MO-IL?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in St. Louis, MO-IL run from $29,880 at the 10th percentile to $31,160 at the 25th, $37,050 at the 75th, and $40,030 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in St. Louis, MO-IL?
On a median gross salary of $32,400, an estimated $26,754 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,029 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,646 (an effective rate of 17.4%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in St. Louis, MO-IL?
On the median annual salary of $32,400, gross monthly income is $2,700. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,230 per month (or $1,029 every two weeks).
Is $32,400 a good salary in St. Louis, MO-IL?
At $32,400, the median salary for food preparation workers is 40.4% of the St. Louis, MO-IL median household income ($80,196). It is 35% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.1, so prices here run 4.9% below the U.S. average.