SOC 35-2021 · New Haven, CT metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in New Haven, CT

The average salary for food preparation workers in New Haven, Connecticut is $41,690 a year ($20.04 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,970: half of the 2,140 people in this job in the New Haven, CT metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

$41,690average per year

$20.04 / hourMedian $36,970Take-home ≈ $34,336

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

2,140people in this job
+17%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 5Connecticut metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in New Haven

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,000 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in New Haven earn between $35,270 and $45,850.

  • $34K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $61K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$41,690$3,474$20.04
Median$36,970$3,081$17.77
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,270$2,939$16.96
Experienced (75th percentile)$45,850$3,821$22.04

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

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in New Haven

On the average salary of $41,690, a single filer in New Haven takes home about $34,336 a year, or $2,861 a month and $1,321 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

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

Prices in the New Haven area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.6), so the average $41,690 buys what about $39,872 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in New Haven ($60,060). A typical home costs $408,096, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $41,690 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Connecticut cities

New Haven ranks 1st of 5 Connecticut metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Connecticut

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 New Haven, CT.

Food Preparation Workers salary in New Haven: questions

How much do food preparation workers make an hour in New Haven?

$20.04 an hour on average, and $17.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,270, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $34,336 a year ($2,861 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,690. Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

Do food preparation workers earn more in New Haven than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% 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 New Haven, CT (35300). 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 (2026 rules). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.32, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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