SOC 35-2021 · Anniston-Oxford, AL metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in Anniston, AL

The average salary for food preparation workers in Anniston, Alabama is $26,570 a year ($12.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,230: half of the 430 people in this job in the Anniston-Oxford, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 26% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

$26,570average per year

$12.78 / hourMedian $27,230Take-home ≈ $22,477

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

430people in this job
-26%vs U.S. metro average
#10 of 12Alabama metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in Anniston

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,120 a year or less, while the top 10% make $34,720 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Anniston earn between $21,080 and $30,100.

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,570$2,214$12.77
Median$27,230$2,269$13.09
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,080$1,757$10.13
Experienced (75th percentile)$30,100$2,508$14.47

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Anniston

On the average salary of $26,570, a single filer in Anniston takes home about $22,477 a year, or $1,873 a month and $864 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

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Is Anniston a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Anniston area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.9), so the average $26,570 buys what about $30,914 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Anniston ($42,680). A typical home costs $170,653, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,570 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Alabama cities

Anniston ranks 10th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Huntsville pays the most ($30,590).

All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Alabama

Highest-paying cities for food preparation workers

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($48,150).

Food Preparation Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Food Preparation Workers in Anniston, AL.

Food Preparation Workers salary in Anniston: questions

How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Anniston?

$12.78 an hour on average, and $13.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Anniston?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,120 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,080, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Anniston?

About $22,477 a year ($1,873 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,570. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Do food preparation workers earn more in Anniston than elsewhere?

The average here is 26% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2021; area Anniston-Oxford, AL (11500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.73, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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