Food Preparation Workers Salary in Washington
Food Preparation Workers in Washington earn a median $40,910 a year, +16% against the national median of $35,320; they and rank 1st of 51 states by median. That is 35% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $31,510 in Idaho to $37,450 in Oregon. Washington employs 19,510 food preparation workers, 5.50 per 1,000 jobs, the 12th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.96 is close to the national share.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.78 | $17.25 | $19.67 | $22.79 | $24.87 | $20.51 | 19,510 | 5.50 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $34,890 | $35,880 | $40,910 | $47,390 | $51,730 | $42,660 | ||||
| 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
- 1st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 12th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.50
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $21.07 | $43,830 | $35,410 | $54,700 | 11,060 | 5.30 | 0.92 |
| Yakima, WA | $20.07 | $41,750 | $34,650 | $46,350 | 600 | 6.17 | 1.07 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $19.25 | $40,030 | $34,650 | $44,850 | 210 | 8.17 | 1.42 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $18.94 | $39,400 | $35,840 | $52,310 | 580 | 6.21 | 1.08 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $18.62 | $38,730 | $35,070 | $50,280 | 6,870 | 5.68 | 0.99 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $18.49 | $38,460 | $35,000 | $47,020 | 260 | 6.36 | 1.11 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $18.46 | $38,390 | $35,240 | $47,710 | 810 | 6.24 | 1.09 |
| Bellingham, WA | $18.38 | $38,240 | $35,040 | $48,670 | 630 | 6.93 | 1.21 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $18.25 | $37,950 | $34,770 | $48,390 | 680 | 5.18 | 0.90 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $18.14 | $37,740 | $35,470 | $50,470 | 280 | 5.37 | 0.93 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $17.59 | $36,580 | $34,650 | $46,750 | 330 | 6.40 | 1.11 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $17.48 | $36,360 | $34,650 | $45,870 | 1,310 | 5.11 | 0.89 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $17.20 | $35,780 | $22,360 | $45,950 | 170 | 5.99 | 1.04 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $18.46 | $38,410 | $35,150 | $51,390 | 750 | 5.79 | 1.01 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $18.00 | $37,440 | $35,190 | $46,300 | 880 | 8.09 | 1.41 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Food Preparation Workers (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington 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.