Food Preparation Workers pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,790 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Reading earn between $27,830 and $36,000.
- $23K10th
- $28K25th
- $32KMedian
- $36K75th
- $40K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,410 | $2,701 | $15.58 |
| Median | $31,580 | $2,632 | $15.18 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $27,830 | $2,319 | $13.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17.31 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $32,410, a single filer in Reading takes home about $27,226 a year, or $2,269 a month and $1,047 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Reading a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $32,410 buys what about $33,392 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 9.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 3rd of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($34,950).
- Philadelphia$34,950
- Allentown$33,970
- Reading$32,410
- Lancaster$32,240
- Harrisburg$32,070
- York$31,740
- Lebanon$31,730
- Gettysburg$31,690
- State College$31,500
- Erie$30,920
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 Reading: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Reading?
$15.58 an hour on average, and $15.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,830, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Reading?
About $27,226 a year ($2,269 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,410. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do food preparation workers earn more in Reading than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% 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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.59, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.59).
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