Food Preparation Workers pay range in St. Joseph
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,730 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in St. Joseph earn between $28,600 and $34,350.
- $29K10th
- $29K25th
- $29KMedian
- $34K75th
- $42K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,200 | $2,683 | $15.48 |
| Median | $28,960 | $2,413 | $13.92 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,600 | $2,383 | $13.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,350 | $2,862 | $16.51 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in St. Joseph
On the average salary of $32,200, a single filer in St. Joseph takes home about $27,477 a year, or $2,290 a month and $1,057 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
The St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in MO | $27,477 | $2,290 |
| Working in KS | $27,042 | $2,254 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is St. Joseph a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the St. Joseph area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.4), so the average $32,200 buys what about $37,276 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Joseph ($47,350). A typical home costs $215,126, or 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other Missouri cities
St. Joseph ranks 7th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; Springfield pays the most ($37,730).
- Springfield$37,730
- St. Louis$34,370
- Kansas City$34,170
- Joplin$32,860
- Jefferson City$32,850
- Columbia$32,430
- St. Joseph$32,200
- Cape Girardeau$31,560
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 St. Joseph: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in St. Joseph?
$15.48 an hour on average, and $13.92 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in St. Joseph?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in St. Joseph?
About $27,477 a year ($2,290 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,200. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do food preparation workers earn more in St. Joseph than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% 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 St. Joseph, MO-KS (41140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
- 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). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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