Food Preparation Workers pay range in Grand Junction
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,800 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,560 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Grand Junction earn between $32,550 and $37,990.
- $31K10th
- $33K25th
- $37KMedian
- $38K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,850 | $3,071 | $17.72 |
| Median | $37,240 | $3,103 | $17.90 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $32,550 | $2,712 | $15.65 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,990 | $3,166 | $18.26 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Grand Junction
On the average salary of $36,850, a single filer in Grand Junction takes home about $30,876 a year, or $2,573 a month and $1,188 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 (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Grand Junction a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Grand Junction area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.5), so the average $36,850 buys what about $38,596 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Grand Junction ($48,510). A typical home costs $436,543, or 11.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other Colorado cities
Grand Junction ranks 6th of 7 Colorado metro areas for this job; Boulder pays the most ($41,960).
- Boulder$41,960
- Denver$40,470
- Greeley$40,080
- Colorado Springs$39,300
- Fort Collins$37,800
- Grand Junction$36,850
- Pueblo$36,810
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 Grand Junction: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Grand Junction?
$17.71 an hour on average, and $17.90 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Grand Junction?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,800 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,550, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Grand Junction?
About $30,876 a year ($2,573 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,850. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do food preparation workers earn more in Grand Junction than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% 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 Grand Junction, CO (24300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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