Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

In the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $35,410 a year ($17.02 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 500 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,780 and $39,660; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,632 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Wildwood-The Villages, FL at a glance

Median salary

$35,410$17.02 per hour · $2,951 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,780$13.36/hr
25th percentile$30,470$14.65/hr
75th percentile$37,380$17.97/hr
90th percentile$39,660$19.07/hr
Jobs in this metro500Location quotient 2.11 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $45,830
Against Florida1% belowStatewide median $35,920
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Wildwood-The Villages, FL after taxes

$35,410
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,410
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,632After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,553Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,178Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,069 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,709 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Wildwood-The Villages, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$13.36/hr$2,315$27,780$24,487
25th percentile$14.65/hr$2,539$30,470$26,663
MedianMedian$17.02/hr$2,951$35,410$30,632
75th percentile$17.97/hr$3,115$37,380$32,215
90th percentile$19.07/hr$3,305$39,660$34,047

Is $35,410 a good salary in Wildwood-The Villages, 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$76,508Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.414.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.3%of area median income

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

Food preparation worker pay in Wildwood-The Villages, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area was $35,410 in May 2025, about $2,951 a month or $17.02 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $35,920, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Wildwood-The Villages, FL was $17.02 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.07.

How many food preparation workers work in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

BLS estimated 500 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 12.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.11 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Wildwood-The Villages, FL run from $27,780 at the 10th percentile to $30,470 at the 25th, $37,380 at the 75th, and $39,660 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

On a median gross salary of $35,410, an estimated $30,632 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,178 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,778 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

On the median annual salary of $35,410, gross monthly income is $2,951. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,553 per month (or $1,178 every two weeks).

Is $35,410 a good salary in Wildwood-The Villages, FL?

At $35,410, the median salary for food preparation workers is 46.3% of the Wildwood-The Villages, FL median household income ($76,508). It is 23% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.4, so prices here run 14.6% below the U.S. average.