Food preparation worker pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ at a glance
Median salary
$35,950$17.28 per hour · $2,996 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Trenton-Princeton, NJ, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NJ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.49/hr | $2,685 | $32,220 | $27,592 |
| 25th percentile | $16.33/hr | $2,831 | $33,970 | $28,968 |
| MedianMedian | $17.28/hr | $2,996 | $35,950 | $30,524 |
| 75th percentile | $18.32/hr | $3,176 | $38,110 | $32,185 |
| 90th percentile | $22.04/hr | $3,821 | $45,850 | $38,035 |
Is $35,950 a good salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
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 New Jersey and across the U.S.
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Food preparation worker pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area was $35,950 in May 2025, about $2,996 a month or $17.28 an hour. Statewide, the New Jersey median for this job is $35,540, so the metro pays 1% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ was $17.28 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.04.
How many food preparation workers work in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
BLS estimated 1,190 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ run from $32,220 at the 10th percentile to $33,970 at the 25th, $38,110 at the 75th, and $45,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
On a median gross salary of $35,950, an estimated $30,524 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,174 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Jersey in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,426 (an effective rate of 15.1%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
On the median annual salary of $35,950, gross monthly income is $2,996. After federal, FICA, and New Jersey state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,544 per month (or $1,174 every two weeks).
Is $35,950 a good salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
At $35,950, the median salary for food preparation workers is 35.7% of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ median household income ($100,645). It is 43% below the $63,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.2, so prices here run 3.2% above the U.S. average.