Food Preparation Workers Salary in Maryland
At $35,500 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Maryland is close to the national median of $35,320 (+1%); Maryland ranks 20th of 51 states by median. That is 40% less than the median across all occupations in Maryland ($59,510). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Delaware pay more (up to $39,600 in District of Columbia) and Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia pay less (down to $28,360 in West Virginia). Maryland employs 13,280 food preparation workers, 4.80 per 1,000 jobs, the 25th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.84 is close to the national share.
Maryland vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $15.04 | $15.88 | $17.07 | $18.50 | $22.06 | $17.83 | 13,280 | 4.81 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $31,290 | $33,020 | $35,500 | $38,470 | $45,890 | $37,090 | ||||
| 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
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 25th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.81
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maryland'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 Maryland
6 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $18.09 | $37,630 | $31,340 | $45,010 | 14,810 | 4.72 | 0.82 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $16.87 | $35,080 | $31,470 | $46,780 | 6,830 | 5.04 | 0.88 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $16.62 | $34,560 | $28,240 | $43,300 | 10,780 | 3.72 | 0.65 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $16.27 | $33,840 | $31,200 | $43,670 | 300 | 4.27 | 0.74 |
| Salisbury, MD | $15.13 | $31,460 | $31,200 | $37,130 | 320 | 5.92 | 1.03 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $15.05 | $31,290 | $24,960 | $38,450 | 560 | 5.22 | 0.91 |
| Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $16.63 | $34,600 | $31,200 | $43,260 | 690 | 6.08 | 1.06 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $17.07 | $35,500 | 13,280 | 0.84 |
| District of Columbia | $19.04 | $39,600 | 3,970 | 0.98 |
| Delaware | $17.28 | $35,930 | 2,400 | 0.86 |
| Pennsylvania | $14.83 | $30,840 | 17,940 | 0.51 |
| Virginia | $16.78 | $34,900 | 16,340 | 0.69 |
| West Virginia | $13.63 | $28,360 | 2,960 | 0.73 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Maryland 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 Maryland 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.