Food Preparation Workers pay range in Santa Fe
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,250 a year or less, while the top 10% make $40,370 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Santa Fe earn between $34,490 and $38,570.
- $30K10th
- $34K25th
- $36KMedian
- $39K75th
- $40K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,570 | $3,048 | $17.58 |
| Median | $36,120 | $3,010 | $17.37 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $34,490 | $2,874 | $16.58 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,570 | $3,214 | $18.54 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Santa Fe
On the average salary of $36,570, a single filer in Santa Fe takes home about $30,959 a year, or $2,580 a month and $1,191 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Santa Fe a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Fe area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.8), so the average $36,570 buys what about $37,027 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Fe ($48,710). A typical home costs $558,896, or 15.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other New Mexico cities
Santa Fe ranks 1st of 4 New Mexico metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Santa Fe$36,570
- Albuquerque$33,810
- Las Cruces$32,590
- Farmington$31,860
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 Santa Fe: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Santa Fe?
$17.58 an hour on average, and $17.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Santa Fe?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,250 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,490, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Santa Fe?
About $30,959 a year ($2,580 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,570.
Do food preparation workers earn more in Santa Fe than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Santa Fe, NM (42140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.58, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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