Food Preparation Workers Salary in Washington, DC (2024)
Food Preparation Workers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median of $36,220 per year ($17.41 per hour) based on 14,120 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +5.8% 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 Washington, DC, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.15 | $29,440 | |
| 25th percentile | $15.47 | $32,180 | |
| Median | $17.41 | $36,220 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $18.77 | $39,040 | |
| 90th percentile | $21.47 | $44,650 | |
| Average (mean) | $17.66 | $36,720 |
How Washington, DC compares
The local median of $36,220 runs +5.8% above the US median of $34,220 for this occupation; it pays 47.1% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($68,430); within the metro it ranks 673rd of 703 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC — this occupation | $36,220 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $34,220 | +5.8% |
| Washington, DC — all occupations | $68,430 | -47.1% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $41,980 | -13.7% |
A location quotient of 0.79 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.6%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 673rd of 703 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Washington, DC
To put $36,220 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 673rd.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $225,340 | 390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224,330 | 1,900 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,030 | 1,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $219,970 | 570 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $218,490 | 230 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $199,990 | 150 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $191,880 | 20,770 |
| Lawyers | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $191,880 | 11,170 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $189,770 | 300 |
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 Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $36,220, or $17 per hour. That means half of the food preparation workers working in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $36,720.
What do the highest and lowest paid food preparation workers in Washington, DC earn?
The bottom 10% earn $29,440 or less, while the top 10% earn $44,650 or more — a spread of $15,210 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $32,180 and $39,040.
Is food preparation workers pay in Washington, DC above the local average?
Yes, it is 47.1% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $68,430. 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 Washington, DC pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $36,220 the metro median is 5.8% 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 Washington, DC?
BLS counts about 14,120 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.53 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.79 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 9.2%). 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.