Food Preparation Workers Salary in Georgia
At $35,250 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Georgia is close to the national median of $35,320 (0%); Georgia ranks 22nd of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Georgia ($48,170). Among neighbouring states, Florida pays more (up to $35,920 in Florida) and South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama pay less (down to $27,930 in Alabama). Georgia employs 26,450 food preparation workers, 5.41 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.94 is close to the national share.
Georgia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $11.94 | $14.24 | $16.95 | $18.12 | $19.42 | $16.33 | 26,450 | 5.41 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $24,840 | $29,610 | $35,250 | $37,700 | $40,390 | $33,970 | ||||
| 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
- 22nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.94
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.41
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Georgia'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 Georgia
15 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Georgia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $17.35 | $36,090 | $27,910 | $42,010 | 17,060 | 5.91 | 1.03 |
| Gainesville, GA | $16.81 | $34,950 | $24,230 | $40,780 | 520 | 4.97 | 0.86 |
| Savannah, GA | $16.41 | $34,130 | $23,930 | $39,080 | 1,060 | 5.32 | 0.93 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $15.43 | $32,090 | $22,600 | $38,990 | 1,120 | 4.82 | 0.84 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $15.30 | $31,830 | $22,920 | $38,630 | 420 | 5.54 | 0.96 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $15.17 | $31,550 | $22,720 | $38,500 | 510 | 5.36 | 0.93 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $15.00 | $31,190 | $22,460 | $36,940 | 510 | 5.29 | 0.92 |
| Albany, GA | $14.78 | $30,740 | $22,140 | $39,600 | 370 | 6.28 | 1.09 |
| Hinesville, GA | $14.75 | $30,690 | $22,960 | $36,480 | 100 | 5.01 | 0.87 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $14.73 | $30,640 | $22,770 | $38,800 | 380 | 8.13 | 1.41 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $14.57 | $30,300 | $22,430 | $39,070 | 1,780 | 6.64 | 1.15 |
| Dalton, GA | $14.47 | $30,100 | $22,430 | $37,310 | 200 | 3.02 | 0.53 |
| Rome, GA | $14.16 | $29,450 | $22,870 | $36,730 | 240 | 5.31 | 0.92 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $13.96 | $29,030 | $20,740 | $35,910 | 830 | 7.11 | 1.24 |
| Valdosta, GA | $13.95 | $29,020 | $21,670 | $36,180 | 340 | 6.30 | 1.10 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.76 | $30,700 | $21,700 | $37,700 | 390 | 4.46 | 0.78 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.76 | $30,700 | $22,780 | $36,980 | 900 | 4.77 | 0.83 |
| South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.49 | $30,130 | $22,780 | $37,130 | 870 | 4.53 | 0.79 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.43 | $30,020 | $22,780 | $36,660 | 680 | 4.90 | 0.85 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $16.95 | $35,250 | 26,450 | 0.94 |
| Alabama | $13.43 | $27,930 | 17,680 | 1.46 |
| Florida | $17.27 | $35,920 | 73,100 | 1.28 |
| North Carolina | $14.55 | $30,260 | 24,960 | 0.88 |
| South Carolina | $15.47 | $32,180 | 14,460 | 1.09 |
| Tennessee | $13.80 | $28,700 | 19,780 | 1.05 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Georgia 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 Georgia 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.