Food Preparation Workers Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Food Preparation Workers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $41,980 per year ($20.18 per hour) based on 11,930 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +22.7% against the national median of $34,220 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where food preparation workers actually sit across the pay range in Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.28 | $33,860 | |
| 25th percentile | $17.58 | $36,570 | |
| Median | $20.18 | $41,980 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $22.63 | $47,070 | |
| 90th percentile | $25.35 | $52,730 | |
| Average (mean) | $20.60 | $42,840 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $41,980 runs +22.7% above the US median of $34,220 for this occupation; it pays 37.8% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 655th of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $41,980 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $34,220 | +22.7% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | -37.8% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $41,980 | 0.0% |
The location quotient of 0.99 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 3.1%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 655th of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $41,980 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 655th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Where food preparation workers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $29,770 to $41,980. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $41,980 | 11,930 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39,660 | 12,470 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $39,300 | 6,300 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,130 | 8,010 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $38,090 | 10,540 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $37,990 | 8,900 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $37,580 | 39,020 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $37,270 | 7,720 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $36,330 | 54,130 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $36,220 | 14,120 |
See the full national picture on the Food Preparation Workers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $41,980, or $20 per hour. That means half of the food preparation workers working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $42,840.
What do the highest and lowest paid food preparation workers in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $33,860 or less, while the top 10% earn $52,730 or more — a spread of $18,870 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $36,570 and $47,070.
Is food preparation workers pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 37.8% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $41,980 the metro median is 22.7% higher than the US median of $34,220 for food preparation workers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $29,770 to $41,980.
How many food preparation workers work in Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 11,930 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 5.73 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 0.99 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 13.6%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.