Food Preparation Workers pay range in Elkhart
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,650 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Elkhart earn between $29,450 and $36,410.
- $27K10th
- $29K25th
- $34KMedian
- $36K75th
- $38K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,970 | $2,748 | $15.85 |
| Median | $33,640 | $2,803 | $16.17 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $29,450 | $2,454 | $14.16 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,410 | $3,034 | $17.50 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Elkhart
On the average salary of $32,970, a single filer in Elkhart takes home about $27,073 a year, or $2,256 a month and $1,041 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 (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
Is Elkhart a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Elkhart area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.3), so the average $32,970 buys what about $36,502 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Elkhart ($48,070). A typical home costs $265,734, or 8.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other Indiana cities
Elkhart ranks 1st of 12 Indiana metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Elkhart$32,970
- Indianapolis$32,660
- Columbus$32,060
- Fort Wayne$31,840
- South Bend$31,810
- Kokomo$31,710
- Bloomington$31,230
- Lafayette$31,060
- Evansville$30,040
- Michigan City$30,030
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 Elkhart: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Elkhart?
$15.85 an hour on average, and $16.17 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Elkhart?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,450, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Elkhart?
About $27,073 a year ($2,256 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,970. Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
Do food preparation workers earn more in Elkhart than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN (21140). 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). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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