Food Preparation Workers Salary — Bowling Green, Kentucky

The average Food Preparation Workers in Bowling Green, Kentucky earns $28,000 a year.

$28,000 / year, mean
↓ 21.7% below national average 33th percentile in Kentucky

Bowling Green pays below most of Kentucky for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's noticeably below the national average for food preparation workers, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Kentucky

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
660
Estimate confidence
RSE 2.6%
Cost of living 90 #161 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1461 #33 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $267,047 #125 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $62,437 #157 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Bowling Green ranks #161 for cost of living and #125 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $45,660 Seattle $44,390 Napa $44,240 Santa Rosa $43,450 San Francisco $43,290 Bremerton $42,910 Santa Cruz $42,060 Mount Vernon $41,420 Portland $41,410 Vallejo $41,390 San Luis Obispo $41,340 Los Angeles $41,220 Salinas $41,130 Bellingham $40,960 Olympia $40,900 San Diego $40,890 Santa Maria $40,830 Yakima $40,820 Hanford $40,800 El Centro $40,610 Sacramento $40,600 Stockton $40,500 Riverside $40,490 Fresno $40,450 Modesto $40,410 Oxnard $40,340 Bend $40,230 Merced $40,150 Kennewick $39,990 Walla Walla $39,820 Yuba City $39,630 Longview $39,490 Visalia $39,420 Wenatchee $39,380 Salem $39,160 Spokane $39,060 Chico $39,010 New York $38,790 Bakersfield $38,700 Redding $38,290 Naples $38,130 Albany $37,960 Ithaca $37,860 Atlantic City $37,770 Medford $37,700 Trenton $37,610 Eugene $37,420 Grants Pass $37,420 Albany $37,270 Sarasota $37,070 Corvallis $37,000 Chicago $36,980 Baltimore $36,910 Kiryas Joel $36,740 Kingston $36,490 Vineland $36,490 Binghamton $36,170 Rochester $36,140 Crestview $36,130 Syracuse $36,070 Port St. Lucie $35,880 Buffalo $35,720 Glens Falls $35,660 Fort Myers $35,610 Jacksonville $35,550 Dover $35,510 Miami $35,500 Sebastian $35,500 Punta Gorda $35,440 Tampa $35,430 Elmira $35,220 Charlottesville $35,110 Lexington Park $35,080 Philadelphia $34,950 Palm Bay $34,940 Utica $34,830 Watertown $34,750 Orlando $34,590 Austin $34,550 Decatur $34,380 Deltona $34,380 Wildwood $34,380 Rockford $34,330 Gainesville $34,240 Champaign $34,180 Ann Arbor $34,160 Richmond $34,120 Peoria $34,050 Virginia Beach $34,040 Allentown $33,970 Panama City $33,860 Springfield $33,860 Pensacola $33,850 Ocala $33,790 Salisbury $33,710 Winchester $33,710 Midland $33,700 Detroit $33,680 Harrisonburg $33,630 Staunton $33,630 Bloomington $33,590 Lakeland $33,550 Homosassa Springs $33,540 Kankakee $33,530 Grand Rapids $33,310 Traverse City $33,290 Houston $33,220 College Station $33,200 Elkhart $32,970 Dallas $32,960 San Antonio $32,900 Tallahassee $32,780 Kalamazoo $32,680 Indianapolis $32,660 Hagerstown $32,550 Sebring $32,510 Reading $32,410 Jackson $32,280 Lancaster $32,240 Flint $32,210 Harrisburg $32,070 Columbus $32,060 Wichita Falls $32,040 Fort Wayne $31,840 Odessa $31,830 Lansing $31,810 South Bend $31,810 Roanoke $31,740 York $31,740 Lebanon $31,730 Kokomo $31,710 Gettysburg $31,690 Louisville $31,570 Killeen $31,520 State College $31,500 Muskegon $31,480 Niles $31,480 Blacksburg $31,410 Lynchburg $31,380 Bloomington $31,230 Lafayette $31,060 Monroe $31,000 Erie $30,920 Pittsburgh $30,870 Altoona $30,670 Battle Creek $30,480 Waco $30,440 Amarillo $30,390 Beaumont $30,190 Morgantown $30,150 Saginaw $30,090 Wheeling $30,070 Evansville $30,040 Scranton $30,040 Michigan City $30,030 Bay City $30,020 Chambersburg $29,980 Sherman $29,940 Midland $29,920 San Angelo $29,810 Terre Haute $29,590 Victoria $29,440 Laredo $29,370 Muncie $29,350 Lubbock $29,320 Williamsport $29,290 Lexington $29,230 Abilene $29,220 Corpus Christi $29,100 Tyler $29,010 Weirton $28,920 McAllen $28,820 Eagle Pass $28,750 Charleston $28,740 Paducah $28,490 Owensboro $28,220 Bowling Green $28,000 Beckley $27,910 Texarkana $27,810 Parkersburg $27,740 Longview $27,430 Brownsville $27,370 El Paso $26,920 Huntington $26,880 Elizabethtown $26,650 Johnstown $25,290
CityMean salaryvs. Bowling Green
Abilene, Texas$29,220+4.4%
Albany, Oregon$37,960+35.6%
Albany, New York$37,270+33.1%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$33,970+21.3%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$30,670+9.5%
Amarillo, Texas$30,390+8.5%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$34,160+22.0%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$37,770+34.9%
Austin, Texas$34,550+23.4%
Bakersfield, California$38,700+38.2%
Baltimore, Maryland$36,910+31.8%
Battle Creek, Michigan$30,480+8.9%
Bay City, Michigan$30,020+7.2%
Beaumont, Texas$30,190+7.8%
Beckley, West Virginia$27,910-0.3%
Bellingham, Washington$40,960+46.3%
Bend, Oregon$40,230+43.7%
Binghamton, New York$36,170+29.2%
Blacksburg, Virginia$31,410+12.2%
Bloomington, Illinois$33,590+20.0%
Bloomington, Indiana$31,230+11.5%
Bremerton, Washington$42,910+53.2%
Brownsville, Texas$27,370-2.2%
Buffalo, New York$35,720+27.6%
Fort Myers, Florida$35,610+27.2%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$29,980+7.1%
Champaign, Illinois$34,180+22.1%
Charleston, West Virginia$28,740+2.6%
Charlottesville, Virginia$35,110+25.4%
Chicago, Illinois$36,980+32.1%
Chico, California$39,010+39.3%
College Station, Texas$33,200+18.6%
Columbus, Indiana$32,060+14.5%
Corpus Christi, Texas$29,100+3.9%
Corvallis, Oregon$37,000+32.1%
Crestview, Florida$36,130+29.0%
Dallas, Texas$32,960+17.7%
Decatur, Illinois$34,380+22.8%
Deltona, Florida$34,380+22.8%
Detroit, Michigan$33,680+20.3%
Dover, Delaware$35,510+26.8%
Eagle Pass, Texas$28,750+2.7%
El Centro, California$40,610+45.0%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$26,650-4.8%
Elkhart, Indiana$32,970+17.8%
Elmira, New York$35,220+25.8%
El Paso, Texas$26,920-3.9%
Erie, Pennsylvania$30,920+10.4%
Eugene, Oregon$37,420+33.6%
Evansville, Indiana$30,040+7.3%
Flint, Michigan$32,210+15.0%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$31,840+13.7%
Fresno, California$40,450+44.5%
Gainesville, Florida$34,240+22.3%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$31,690+13.2%
Glens Falls, New York$35,660+27.4%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$33,310+19.0%
Grants Pass, Oregon$37,420+33.6%
Hagerstown, Maryland$32,550+16.2%
Hanford, California$40,800+45.7%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$32,070+14.5%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$33,630+20.1%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$33,540+19.8%
Houston, Texas$33,220+18.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$26,880-4.0%
Indianapolis, Indiana$32,660+16.6%
Ithaca, New York$37,860+35.2%
Jackson, Michigan$32,280+15.3%
Jacksonville, Florida$35,550+27.0%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$25,290-9.7%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$32,680+16.7%
Kankakee, Illinois$33,530+19.8%
Kennewick, Washington$39,990+42.8%
Killeen, Texas$31,520+12.6%
Kingston, New York$36,490+30.3%
Kiryas Joel, New York$36,740+31.2%
Kokomo, Indiana$31,710+13.2%
Lafayette, Indiana$31,060+10.9%
Lakeland, Florida$33,550+19.8%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$32,240+15.1%
Lansing, Michigan$31,810+13.6%
Laredo, Texas$29,370+4.9%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$31,730+13.3%
Lexington, Kentucky$29,230+4.4%
Lexington Park, Maryland$35,080+25.3%
Longview, Texas$27,430-2.0%
Longview, Washington$39,490+41.0%
Los Angeles, California$41,220+47.2%
Louisville, Kentucky$31,570+12.8%
Lubbock, Texas$29,320+4.7%
Lynchburg, Virginia$31,380+12.1%
McAllen, Texas$28,820+2.9%
Medford, Oregon$37,700+34.6%
Merced, California$40,150+43.4%
Miami, Florida$35,500+26.8%
Michigan City, Indiana$30,030+7.2%
Midland, Michigan$29,920+6.9%
Midland, Texas$33,700+20.4%
Modesto, California$40,410+44.3%
Monroe, Michigan$31,000+10.7%
Morgantown, West Virginia$30,150+7.7%
Mount Vernon, Washington$41,420+47.9%
Muncie, Indiana$29,350+4.8%
Muskegon, Michigan$31,480+12.4%
Napa, California$44,240+58.0%
Naples, Florida$38,130+36.2%
New York, New York$38,790+38.5%
Niles, Michigan$31,480+12.4%
Sarasota, Florida$37,070+32.4%
Ocala, Florida$33,790+20.7%
Odessa, Texas$31,830+13.7%
Olympia, Washington$40,900+46.1%
Orlando, Florida$34,590+23.5%
Owensboro, Kentucky$28,220+0.8%
Oxnard, California$40,340+44.1%
Paducah, Kentucky$28,490+1.8%
Palm Bay, Florida$34,940+24.8%
Panama City, Florida$33,860+20.9%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$27,740-0.9%
Pensacola, Florida$33,850+20.9%
Peoria, Illinois$34,050+21.6%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$34,950+24.8%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$30,870+10.2%
Portland, Oregon$41,410+47.9%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$35,880+28.1%
Punta Gorda, Florida$35,440+26.6%
Reading, Pennsylvania$32,410+15.8%
Redding, California$38,290+36.8%
Richmond, Virginia$34,120+21.9%
Riverside, California$40,490+44.6%
Roanoke, Virginia$31,740+13.4%
Rochester, New York$36,140+29.1%
Rockford, Illinois$34,330+22.6%
Sacramento, California$40,600+45.0%
Saginaw, Michigan$30,090+7.5%
Salem, Oregon$39,160+39.9%
Salinas, California$41,130+46.9%
Salisbury, Maryland$33,710+20.4%
San Angelo, Texas$29,810+6.5%
San Antonio, Texas$32,900+17.5%
San Diego, California$40,890+46.0%
San Francisco, California$43,290+54.6%
San Jose, California$45,660+63.1%
San Luis Obispo, California$41,340+47.6%
Santa Cruz, California$42,060+50.2%
Santa Maria, California$40,830+45.8%
Santa Rosa, California$43,450+55.2%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$30,040+7.3%
Seattle, Washington$44,390+58.5%
Sebastian, Florida$35,500+26.8%
Sebring, Florida$32,510+16.1%
Sherman, Texas$29,940+6.9%
South Bend, Indiana$31,810+13.6%
Spokane, Washington$39,060+39.5%
Springfield, Illinois$33,860+20.9%
State College, Pennsylvania$31,500+12.5%
Staunton, Virginia$33,630+20.1%
Stockton, California$40,500+44.6%
Syracuse, New York$36,070+28.8%
Tallahassee, Florida$32,780+17.1%
Tampa, Florida$35,430+26.5%
Terre Haute, Indiana$29,590+5.7%
Texarkana, Texas$27,810-0.7%
Traverse City, Michigan$33,290+18.9%
Trenton, New Jersey$37,610+34.3%
Tyler, Texas$29,010+3.6%
Utica, New York$34,830+24.4%
Vallejo, California$41,390+47.8%
Victoria, Texas$29,440+5.1%
Vineland, New Jersey$36,490+30.3%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$34,040+21.6%
Visalia, California$39,420+40.8%
Waco, Texas$30,440+8.7%
Walla Walla, Washington$39,820+42.2%
Watertown, New York$34,750+24.1%
Weirton, West Virginia$28,920+3.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$39,380+40.6%
Wheeling, West Virginia$30,070+7.4%
Wichita Falls, Texas$32,040+14.4%
Wildwood, Florida$34,380+22.8%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$29,290+4.6%
Winchester, Virginia$33,710+20.4%
Yakima, Washington$40,820+45.8%
York, Pennsylvania$31,740+13.4%
Yuba City, California$39,630+41.5%
Gross salary
28,000/yr
Estimated take-home
23,246/yr
Est. total withheld
17.0%

Single filer, federal + Kentucky state tax + FICA, 2026 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Kentucky → All Food Preparation Workers salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-2021 SOC code
Official area Bowling Green, KY BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 14540 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ky_dor_verificado 2026
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Kentucky

Population (metro area)
183,194