Food Preparation Workers pay range in Napa
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,450 a year or less, while the top 10% make $55,650 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Napa earn between $38,030 and $46,700.
- $36K10th
- $38K25th
- $43KMedian
- $47K75th
- $56K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $44,240 | $3,687 | $21.27 |
| Median | $42,810 | $3,568 | $20.58 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,030 | $3,169 | $18.28 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $46,700 | $3,892 | $22.45 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Napa
On the average salary of $44,240, a single filer in Napa takes home about $36,822 a year, or $3,068 a month and $1,416 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 Napa a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Napa area are 13% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 112.6), so the average $44,240 buys what about $39,306 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Napa ($55,210). A typical home costs $890,662, or 20.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other California cities
Napa ranks 2nd 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
- San Diego$40,890
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 Napa: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Napa?
$21.27 an hour on average, and $20.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Napa?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,450 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,030, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Napa?
About $36,822 a year ($3,068 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,240. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do food preparation workers earn more in Napa than elsewhere?
The average here is 24% 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 Napa, CA (34900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.39, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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