Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Food Preparation Worker salary in Virginia
The average Food Preparation Worker salary in Virginia is $36,000 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $32,000 to $38,500. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For Virginia pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$36,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$2,500
7.1% of base
Total target cash
$39,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$1,50050th$2,50075th$4,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Food Preparation Worker is a professional role within the function in the Food Preparation and Serving job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
Top skills:Time ManagementService OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingCoordinationCritical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Food Preparation Worker pay by experience level
Entry level$26,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$31,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$36,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$40,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$47,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-3.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
148,000
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Food Preparation Worker salary by industry
Food Services and Drinking Places
503,270 workers
$35,500
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
432,070 workers
$35,000
Food and Beverage Retailers
187,430 workers
$37,000
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
186,590 workers
$37,000
Special Food Services
65,900 workers
$39,000
Educational Services
34,520 workers
$39,500
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
29,640 workers
$34,000
Elementary and Secondary Schools
28,350 workers
$38,500
General Merchandise Retailers
28,080 workers
$44,500
Educational Services, Local Government Owned
26,600 workers
$38,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 930,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
56.8%
White
72.5%
Black or African American
17.3%
Asian
5.7%
Hispanic or Latino
30.6%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $26,070 to $35,320.
+35.5% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$26,500
Early career25th percentile
$31,000
Median50th percentile
$36,500
Experienced75th percentile
$40,000
Top earners90th percentile
$47,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Time ManagementService OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingCoordinationCritical Thinking
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$36,500
2027$38,000
2028$39,000
2029$40,500
2030$42,000
2031$43,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Virginia salary questions
How much does a Food Preparation Worker make in Virginia?
The average base salary for a Food Preparation Worker in Virginia is $36,000 per year, or about $17.31 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Food Preparation Worker salary in Virginia?
The median is $36,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $36,000.
What is the typical Food Preparation Worker salary range in Virginia?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in Virginia is $32,000 to $38,500 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Food Preparation Worker pay in Virginia compare with the national average?
The Virginia average of $36,000 is $500 (1.4%) below the national average of $36,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these Virginia salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Food Preparation Worker pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
