SOC 35-2021 · Abilene, TX metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in Abilene, TX

The average salary for food preparation workers in Abilene, Texas is $29,220 a year ($14.05 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,250: half of the 410 people in this job in the Abilene, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

$29,220average per year

$14.05 / hourMedian $28,250Take-home ≈ $25,658

  • $22K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

410people in this job
-18%vs U.S. metro average
#18 of 26Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in Abilene

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $38,110 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Abilene earn between $24,680 and $33,220.

  • $22K10th
  • $25K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $38K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,220$2,435$14.05
Median$28,250$2,354$13.58
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,680$2,057$11.87
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,220$2,768$15.97

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Abilene

On the average salary of $29,220, a single filer in Abilene takes home about $25,658 a year, or $2,138 a month and $987 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Abilene a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Abilene area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.4), so the average $29,220 buys what about $32,336 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Abilene ($44,340). A typical home costs $217,009, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,220 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Texas cities

Abilene ranks 18th of 26 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($34,550).

All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Texas

Highest-paying cities for food preparation workers

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($48,150).

Food Preparation Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Food Preparation Workers in Abilene, TX.

Food Preparation Workers salary in Abilene: questions

How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Abilene?

$14.05 an hour on average, and $13.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Abilene?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,680, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Abilene?

About $25,658 a year ($2,138 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,220. Texas has no state income tax.

Do food preparation workers earn more in Abilene than elsewhere?

The average here is 18% 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 Abilene, TX (10180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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