Visalia, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Visalia, CA?

In the Visalia, CA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $37,020 a year ($17.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 760 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $45,130 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,320 and $46,920; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,462 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Visalia, CA at a glance

Median salary

$37,020$17.80 per hour · $3,085 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
25th percentile$34,670$16.67/hr
75th percentile$41,720$20.06/hr
90th percentile$46,920$22.56/hr
Jobs in this metro760Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $45,130
Against California6% belowStatewide median $39,350
Against the U.S.5% 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 Visalia, CA after taxes

$37,020
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,020
Net 85%
Fed 6%
CA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,462After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,622Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,210Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,262 / yr
California state income tax$463 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,832 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Visalia, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Visalia, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Visalia, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$29,401
25th percentile$16.67/hr$2,889$34,670$29,668
MedianMedian$17.80/hr$3,085$37,020$31,462
75th percentile$20.06/hr$3,477$41,720$35,051
90th percentile$22.56/hr$3,910$46,920$39,021

Is $37,020 a good salary in Visalia, CA?

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$71,300Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.80.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.9%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Visalia, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Visalia, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Visalia, CA metro area was $37,020 in May 2025, about $3,085 a month or $17.80 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $39,350, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Visalia, CA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Visalia, CA was $17.80 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.56.

How many food preparation workers work in Visalia, CA?

BLS estimated 760 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.78 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Visalia, CA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Visalia, CA run from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $34,670 at the 25th, $41,720 at the 75th, and $46,920 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Visalia, CA?

On a median gross salary of $37,020, an estimated $31,462 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,210 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,558 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Visalia, CA?

On the median annual salary of $37,020, gross monthly income is $3,085. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,622 per month (or $1,210 every two weeks).

Is $37,020 a good salary in Visalia, CA?

At $37,020, the median salary for food preparation workers is 51.9% of the Visalia, CA median household income ($71,300). It is 18% below the $45,130 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.8, so prices here run 0.2% below the U.S. average.