Food Preparation Workers Salary in Florida
At $35,920 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Florida is close to the national median of $35,320 (+2%); Florida ranks 16th of 51 states by median. That is 25% less than the median across all occupations in Florida ($47,880). Florida pays more than every neighbouring state: Georgia and Alabama range from $27,930 in Alabama to $35,250 in Georgia. Florida employs 73,100 food preparation workers, 7.36 per 1,000 jobs, the 3rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.28 means the occupation is more concentrated in Florida than nationally.
Florida vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.55 | $14.63 | $17.27 | $18.00 | $20.82 | $16.93 | 73,100 | 7.36 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $28,190 | $30,420 | $35,920 | $37,440 | $43,300 | $35,210 | ||||
| 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
- 16th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 3rd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.28
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.36
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Florida'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 Florida
22 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Florida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $18.36 | $38,190 | $30,150 | $46,060 | 1,610 | 9.25 | 1.61 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $17.94 | $37,320 | $29,690 | $44,060 | 3,480 | 10.24 | 1.78 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $17.79 | $37,000 | $28,260 | $43,110 | 1,590 | 9.32 | 1.62 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $17.66 | $36,730 | $28,190 | $42,820 | 4,630 | 6.05 | 1.05 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $17.64 | $36,680 | $28,090 | $44,550 | 1,050 | 8.37 | 1.46 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $17.58 | $36,560 | $28,310 | $44,380 | 2,460 | 8.06 | 1.40 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $17.47 | $36,330 | $28,080 | $43,220 | 10,150 | 7.02 | 1.22 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $17.46 | $36,310 | $28,170 | $42,560 | 760 | 13.22 | 2.30 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $17.35 | $36,090 | $28,880 | $44,160 | 19,630 | 6.96 | 1.21 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $17.25 | $35,870 | $27,700 | $42,860 | 2,050 | 8.38 | 1.46 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $17.11 | $35,600 | $27,910 | $38,790 | 10,300 | 7.30 | 1.27 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $17.12 | $35,600 | $29,270 | $42,970 | 630 | 10.93 | 1.90 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $17.02 | $35,410 | $27,780 | $39,660 | 500 | 12.12 | 2.11 |
| Gainesville, FL | $16.85 | $35,050 | $27,380 | $38,570 | 1,320 | 8.64 | 1.50 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | $16.79 | $34,920 | $27,040 | $39,350 | 430 | 12.20 | 2.12 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $16.77 | $34,880 | $27,900 | $38,560 | 1,680 | 8.83 | 1.54 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $16.76 | $34,850 | $28,010 | $40,060 | 2,540 | 11.58 | 2.02 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $16.71 | $34,770 | $27,470 | $41,870 | 700 | 7.73 | 1.35 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $16.64 | $34,610 | $27,040 | $38,200 | 1,930 | 7.26 | 1.26 |
| Ocala, FL | $16.61 | $34,560 | $27,040 | $39,140 | 960 | 7.96 | 1.39 |
| Tallahassee, FL | $16.23 | $33,760 | $27,040 | $38,130 | 1,570 | 8.42 | 1.47 |
| Sebring, FL | $15.55 | $32,330 | $27,040 | $38,590 | 230 | 8.28 | 1.44 |
| South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $17.42 | $36,230 | $27,740 | $48,790 | 960 | 10.95 | 1.91 |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $16.23 | $33,760 | $27,600 | $38,960 | 860 | 7.60 | 1.32 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Florida 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 Florida 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.