Food Preparation Workers Salary in Texas
Food Preparation Workers in Texas have a median of $30,650 a year, below the national $35,320 (−13%); the state ranks 38th of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in Texas ($48,620). Among neighbouring states, New Mexico pays more (up to $33,370 in New Mexico) and Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana pay less (down to $23,620 in Louisiana). Texas employs 81,280 food preparation workers, 5.78 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.01 is close to the national share.
Texas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.96 | $13.04 | $14.74 | $17.81 | $20.41 | $15.44 | 81,280 | 5.78 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $22,790 | $27,110 | $30,650 | $37,050 | $42,450 | $32,120 | ||||
| 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
- 38th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.01
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.78
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Texas'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 Texas
26 metropolitan areas and 6 nonmetropolitan areas touching Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita Falls, TX | $17.17 | $35,700 | $22,530 | $37,340 | 580 | 10.42 | 1.81 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $16.84 | $35,020 | $23,250 | $41,870 | 16,240 | 4.94 | 0.86 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $16.77 | $34,880 | $26,940 | $43,610 | 9,350 | 7.23 | 1.26 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $16.54 | $34,390 | $23,360 | $42,170 | 7,910 | 7.02 | 1.22 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $16.53 | $34,380 | $22,250 | $45,290 | 1,680 | 12.56 | 2.19 |
| Midland, TX | $15.96 | $33,200 | $25,420 | $43,890 | 500 | 4.12 | 0.72 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $14.78 | $30,740 | $24,320 | $44,110 | 21,700 | 5.36 | 0.93 |
| Odessa, TX | $14.69 | $30,550 | $22,980 | $39,600 | 470 | 5.78 | 1.01 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $14.57 | $30,300 | $22,010 | $38,700 | 910 | 6.07 | 1.06 |
| Amarillo, TX | $14.02 | $29,160 | $22,700 | $38,360 | 770 | 6.18 | 1.08 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $13.80 | $28,700 | $22,250 | $37,890 | 880 | 5.41 | 0.94 |
| Waco, TX | $13.79 | $28,690 | $22,890 | $37,960 | 940 | 7.24 | 1.26 |
| San Angelo, TX | $13.77 | $28,640 | $21,900 | $38,040 | 340 | 6.91 | 1.20 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $13.76 | $28,620 | $21,510 | $37,720 | 290 | 5.58 | 0.97 |
| Lubbock, TX | $13.73 | $28,550 | $19,980 | $36,500 | 1,140 | 6.83 | 1.19 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $13.67 | $28,430 | $18,870 | $38,150 | 1,810 | 9.40 | 1.64 |
| Abilene, TX | $13.58 | $28,250 | $22,160 | $38,110 | 410 | 5.47 | 0.95 |
| Tyler, TX | $13.53 | $28,150 | $21,970 | $36,970 | 730 | 6.31 | 1.10 |
| Laredo, TX | $13.36 | $27,780 | $20,630 | $38,620 | 700 | 6.41 | 1.11 |
| Victoria, TX | $13.31 | $27,680 | $20,190 | $37,910 | 230 | 6.11 | 1.06 |
| Eagle Pass, TX | $13.17 | $27,390 | $20,450 | $37,790 | 90 | 4.93 | 0.86 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $13.12 | $27,290 | $21,580 | $35,600 | 310 | 5.44 | 0.95 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $12.96 | $26,960 | $20,670 | $38,010 | 1,750 | 5.90 | 1.03 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $12.59 | $26,180 | $19,950 | $38,060 | 1,390 | 8.81 | 1.53 |
| Longview, TX | $12.57 | $26,150 | $21,590 | $36,410 | 700 | 5.91 | 1.03 |
| El Paso, TX | $12.41 | $25,810 | $19,100 | $36,040 | 2,220 | 6.55 | 1.14 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $14.80 | $30,780 | $21,550 | $46,180 | 260 | 5.58 | 0.97 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $13.83 | $28,770 | $21,430 | $38,690 | 1,380 | 6.88 | 1.20 |
| Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $13.52 | $28,120 | $21,810 | $37,520 | 740 | 6.41 | 1.11 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $13.38 | $27,820 | $21,130 | $37,520 | 1,690 | 6.14 | 1.07 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $13.10 | $27,250 | $21,430 | $42,490 | 1,100 | 7.36 | 1.28 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $13.00 | $27,040 | $20,800 | $36,050 | 1,150 | 6.08 | 1.06 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $14.74 | $30,650 | 81,280 | 1.01 |
| Arkansas | $13.30 | $27,660 | 5,500 | 0.73 |
| Louisiana | $11.36 | $23,620 | 30,920 | 2.78 |
| New Mexico | $16.04 | $33,370 | 6,850 | 1.37 |
| Oklahoma | $13.72 | $28,540 | 7,430 | 0.76 |
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Texas 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 Texas 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.