Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?

In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $36,330 a year ($17.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,150 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $48,940 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,080 and $43,220; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,371 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,330$17.47 per hour · $3,028 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,080$13.50/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$37,420$17.99/hr
90th percentile$43,220$20.78/hr
Jobs in this metro10,150Location quotient 1.22 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $48,940
Against Florida1% aboveStatewide median $35,920
Against the U.S.3% 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL after taxes

$36,330
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,330
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,371After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,614Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,207Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,180 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,779 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.50/hr$2,340$28,080$24,734
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$27,249
MedianMedian$17.47/hr$3,028$36,330$31,371
75th percentile$17.99/hr$3,118$37,420$32,247
90th percentile$20.78/hr$3,602$43,220$36,907

Is $36,330 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?

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$74,392Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.8%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area was $36,330 in May 2025, about $3,028 a month or $17.47 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,920, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $17.47 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.78.

How many food preparation workers work in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

BLS estimated 10,150 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.22 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL run from $28,080 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $37,420 at the 75th, and $43,220 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,330, an estimated $31,371 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,207 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,959 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,330, gross monthly income is $3,028. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,614 per month (or $1,207 every two weeks).

Is $36,330 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?

At $36,330, the median salary for food preparation workers is 48.8% of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median household income ($74,392). It is 26% below the $48,940 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.