Food Preparation Workers Salary in Illinois
At $34,850 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Illinois is close to the national median of $35,320 (−1%); Illinois ranks 25th of 51 states by median. That is 33% less than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Kentucky range from $26,850 in Kentucky to $34,070 in Wisconsin. Illinois employs 34,820 food preparation workers, 5.71 per 1,000 jobs, the 5th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.99 is close to the national share.
Illinois vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.75 | $18.21 | $21.63 | $17.43 | 34,820 | 5.71 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,850 | $37,880 | $44,990 | $36,260 | ||||
| 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
- 25th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 5th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.99
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.71
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Illinois'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 Illinois
12 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $17.02 | $35,410 | $31,200 | $45,330 | 27,100 | 6.00 | 1.04 |
| Decatur, IL | $16.08 | $33,450 | $31,200 | $37,810 | 200 | 4.49 | 0.78 |
| Rockford, IL | $15.64 | $32,530 | $31,200 | $39,890 | 720 | 5.20 | 0.90 |
| Springfield, IL | $15.64 | $32,530 | $31,200 | $37,300 | 510 | 5.04 | 0.88 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $15.58 | $32,400 | $29,880 | $40,030 | 6,220 | 4.64 | 0.81 |
| Peoria, IL | $15.45 | $32,140 | $31,200 | $40,260 | 770 | 4.61 | 0.80 |
| Bloomington, IL | $15.40 | $32,030 | $31,200 | $38,080 | 580 | 6.57 | 1.14 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $15.31 | $31,850 | $31,200 | $41,780 | 660 | 6.25 | 1.09 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $28,570 | $38,330 | 620 | 3.42 | 0.60 |
| Kankakee, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $37,390 | 270 | 6.33 | 1.10 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $13.87 | $28,860 | $28,600 | $36,550 | 240 | 5.34 | 0.93 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $13.08 | $27,210 | $21,300 | $36,260 | 480 | 9.48 | 1.65 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.12 | $31,450 | $31,200 | $36,120 | 930 | 5.46 | 0.95 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.10 | $31,400 | $31,200 | $35,710 | 710 | 5.62 | 0.98 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $36,020 | 810 | 5.70 | 0.99 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $36,120 | 880 | 6.22 | 1.08 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Illinois 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 Illinois 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.