Food preparation worker pay in Wilmington, NC at a glance
Median salary
$31,830$15.30 per hour · $2,653 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Food preparation worker salary in Wilmington, NC after taxes
Food preparation workers pay range in Wilmington, NC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Wilmington, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $10.97/hr | $1,902 | $22,820 | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $13.41/hr | $2,325 | $27,900 | $23,981 |
| MedianMedian | $15.30/hr | $2,653 | $31,830 | $26,994 |
| 75th percentile | $17.27/hr | $2,993 | $35,920 | $30,117 |
| 90th percentile | $21.36/hr | $3,702 | $44,420 | $36,608 |
Is $31,830 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?
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 North Carolina and across the U.S.
The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.
Food preparation worker pay in Wilmington, NC: common questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Wilmington, NC?
The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Wilmington, NC metro area was $31,830 in May 2025, about $2,653 a month or $15.30 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $30,260, so the metro pays 5% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Wilmington, NC?
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Wilmington, NC was $15.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.97 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.36.
How many food preparation workers work in Wilmington, NC?
BLS estimated 1,380 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.26 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Wilmington, NC?
BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Wilmington, NC run from $22,820 at the 10th percentile to $27,900 at the 25th, $35,920 at the 75th, and $44,420 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Wilmington, NC?
On a median gross salary of $31,830, an estimated $26,994 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,038 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,836 (an effective rate of 15.2%).
How much do food preparation workers make per month in Wilmington, NC?
On the median annual salary of $31,830, gross monthly income is $2,653. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,250 per month (or $1,038 every two weeks).
Is $31,830 a good salary in Wilmington, NC?
At $31,830, the median salary for food preparation workers is 41.6% of the Wilmington, NC median household income ($76,471). It is 31% below the $45,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.4, so prices here run 3.6% below the U.S. average.