Food Preparation Workers Salary in Arizona
The median for food preparation workers in Arizona is $36,750 a year, somewhat above the national $35,320 (+4%); the state ranks 10th of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Arizona ($50,060). Among neighbouring states, California and Colorado pay more (up to $39,350 in California) and Utah, Nevada and New Mexico pay less (down to $33,370 in New Mexico). Arizona employs 16,590 food preparation workers, 5.12 per 1,000 jobs, the 18th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.89 is close to the national share.
Arizona vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $15.05 | $16.45 | $17.67 | $18.83 | $21.46 | $18.18 | 16,590 | 5.12 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $31,300 | $34,220 | $36,750 | $39,160 | $44,640 | $37,810 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.41 | $14.40 | $16.98 | $18.53 | $21.80 | $16.96 | 893,600 | – | – |
| Annual | $25,810 | $29,950 | $35,320 | $38,550 | $45,340 | $35,290 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 10th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 18th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.89
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.12
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Arizona's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Arizona
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Arizona publish a row for food preparation workers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff, AZ | $18.13 | $37,710 | $31,870 | $43,840 | 570 | 8.61 | 1.50 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $18.07 | $37,580 | $31,730 | $44,640 | 11,910 | 5.02 | 0.87 |
| Yuma, AZ | $17.01 | $35,390 | $30,580 | $39,960 | 330 | 4.81 | 0.84 |
| Tucson, AZ | $16.95 | $35,260 | $30,800 | $42,330 | 2,350 | 6.04 | 1.05 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $16.92 | $35,180 | $30,670 | $39,770 | 370 | 6.59 | 1.15 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $16.87 | $35,090 | $30,950 | $42,930 | 360 | 4.95 | 0.86 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $16.16 | $33,610 | $30,580 | $38,650 | 170 | 4.88 | 0.85 |
| Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $16.33 | $33,960 | $30,580 | $40,470 | 450 | 4.63 | 0.80 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $17.67 | $36,750 | 16,590 | 0.89 |
| California | $18.92 | $39,350 | 112,750 | 1.08 |
| Colorado | $18.73 | $38,960 | 12,080 | 0.73 |
| New Mexico | $16.04 | $33,370 | 6,850 | 1.37 |
| Nevada | $16.09 | $33,460 | 11,420 | 1.28 |
| Utah | $16.12 | $33,540 | 10,530 | 1.06 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Arizona wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Arizona estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.