Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

In the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $32,210 a year ($15.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 180 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $48,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,820 and $43,930; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,023 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA at a glance

Median salary

$32,210$15.48 per hour · $2,684 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,820$13.86/hr
25th percentile$29,610$14.24/hr
75th percentile$35,800$17.21/hr
90th percentile$43,930$21.12/hr
Jobs in this metro180Location quotient 0.59 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $48,040
Against Virginia8% belowStatewide median $34,900
Against the U.S.9% 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 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA after taxes

$32,210
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,210
Net 84%
Fed 5%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,023After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,252Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,039Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,685 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,038 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,464 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.86/hr$2,402$28,820$24,494
25th percentile$14.24/hr$2,468$29,610$25,083
MedianMedian$15.48/hr$2,684$32,210$27,023
75th percentile$17.21/hr$2,983$35,800$29,701
90th percentile$21.12/hr$3,661$43,930$35,766

Is $32,210 a good salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

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$73,544Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.18.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.8%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area was $32,210 in May 2025, about $2,684 a month or $15.48 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $34,900, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA was $15.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.12.

How many food preparation workers work in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

BLS estimated 180 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.59 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA run from $28,820 at the 10th percentile to $29,610 at the 25th, $35,800 at the 75th, and $43,930 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

On a median gross salary of $32,210, an estimated $27,023 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,039 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,187 (an effective rate of 16.1%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

On the median annual salary of $32,210, gross monthly income is $2,684. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,252 per month (or $1,039 every two weeks).

Is $32,210 a good salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

At $32,210, the median salary for food preparation workers is 43.8% of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA median household income ($73,544). It is 33% below the $48,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.1, so prices here run 8.9% below the U.S. average.