Food Preparation Workers pay range in El Centro
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,460 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in El Centro earn between $35,320 and $44,570.
- $34K10th
- $35K25th
- $39KMedian
- $45K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,610 | $3,384 | $19.52 |
| Median | $38,610 | $3,218 | $18.56 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,320 | $2,943 | $16.98 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,570 | $3,714 | $21.43 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in El Centro
On the average salary of $40,610, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $34,050 a year, or $2,838 a month and $1,310 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is El Centro a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $40,610 buys what about $42,669 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 9.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other California cities
El Centro ranks 13th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($45,660).
- San Jose$45,660
- Napa$44,240
- Santa Rosa$43,450
- San Francisco$43,290
- Santa Cruz$42,060
- Vallejo$41,390
- San Luis Obispo$41,340
- Los Angeles$41,220
- Salinas$41,130
- El Centro$40,610
Highest-paying cities for food preparation workers
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($48,150).
- Kahului, HI$48,150
- San Jose, CA$45,660
- Seattle, WA$44,390
- Napa, CA$44,240
- Santa Rosa, CA$43,450
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Food Preparation Workers salary in El Centro: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in El Centro?
$19.52 an hour on average, and $18.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in El Centro?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,320, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in El Centro?
About $34,050 a year ($2,838 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,610. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do food preparation workers earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more 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 El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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