Food Preparation Workers Salary in New Jersey
At $35,540 a year, the median for food preparation workers in New Jersey is close to the national median of $35,320 (+1%); New Jersey ranks 19th of 51 states by median. That is 39% less than the median across all occupations in New Jersey ($58,570). Among neighbouring states, Delaware and New York pay more (up to $35,930 in Delaware) and Pennsylvania pays less (down to $30,840 in Pennsylvania). New Jersey employs 24,730 food preparation workers, 5.77 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.00 is close to the national share.
New Jersey vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.49 | $16.12 | $17.09 | $18.50 | $22.15 | $18.11 | 24,730 | 5.77 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $33,530 | $35,540 | $38,470 | $46,070 | $37,680 | ||||
| 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
- 19th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.00
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.77
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New Jersey'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 New Jersey
6 metropolitan areas touching New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $17.28 | $35,950 | $32,220 | $45,850 | 1,190 | 4.94 | 0.86 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $17.21 | $35,810 | $32,220 | $44,570 | 1,340 | 7.96 | 1.39 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $17.15 | $35,670 | $34,080 | $47,650 | 63,530 | 6.69 | 1.16 |
| Vineland, NJ | $16.94 | $35,240 | $32,220 | $45,120 | 370 | 6.01 | 1.05 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $16.62 | $34,560 | $28,240 | $43,300 | 10,780 | 3.72 | 0.65 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $16.07 | $33,430 | $27,040 | $41,430 | 1,360 | 3.60 | 0.63 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $17.09 | $35,540 | 24,730 | 1.00 |
| Delaware | $17.28 | $35,930 | 2,400 | 0.86 |
| New York | $17.12 | $35,610 | 62,380 | 1.12 |
| Pennsylvania | $14.83 | $30,840 | 17,940 | 0.51 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.