Food Preparation Workers Salary in Delaware
At $35,930 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Delaware is close to the national median of $35,320 (+2%); Delaware ranks 15th of 51 states by median. That is 31% less than the median across all occupations in Delaware ($52,190). Delaware pays more than every neighbouring state: New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania range from $30,840 in Pennsylvania to $35,540 in New Jersey. Delaware employs 2,400 food preparation workers, 4.96 per 1,000 jobs, the 48th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.86 is close to the national share.
Delaware vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.32 | $17.28 | $18.34 | $20.71 | $17.48 | 2,400 | 4.96 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,860 | $35,930 | $38,140 | $43,070 | $36,360 | ||||
| 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
- 15th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 48th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.96
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Delaware'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 Delaware
2 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Delaware 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $16.62 | $34,560 | $31,200 | $39,660 | 300 | 4.38 | 0.76 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $16.62 | $34,560 | $28,240 | $43,300 | 10,780 | 3.72 | 0.65 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $17.35 | $36,080 | $31,200 | $42,860 | 810 | 8.27 | 1.44 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $17.28 | $35,930 | 2,400 | 0.86 |
| Maryland | $17.07 | $35,500 | 13,280 | 0.84 |
| New Jersey | $17.09 | $35,540 | 24,730 | 1.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $14.83 | $30,840 | 17,940 | 0.51 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Delaware 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 Delaware 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.