Food Preparation Workers pay range in Brownsville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $38,060 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Brownsville earn between $22,560 and $31,010.
- $20K10th
- $23K25th
- $26KMedian
- $31K75th
- $38K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $27,370 | $2,281 | $13.16 |
| Median | $26,180 | $2,182 | $12.59 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $22,560 | $1,880 | $10.85 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $31,010 | $2,584 | $14.91 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Brownsville
On the average salary of $27,370, a single filer in Brownsville takes home about $24,149 a year, or $2,012 a month and $929 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.
Is Brownsville a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Brownsville area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.0), so the average $27,370 buys what about $31,835 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Brownsville ($36,490). A typical home costs $207,150, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Food Preparation Workers salary in other Texas cities
Brownsville ranks 25th of 26 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($34,550).
- Austin$34,550
- Midland$33,700
- Houston$33,220
- College Station$33,200
- Dallas$32,960
- San Antonio$32,900
- Wichita Falls$32,040
- Odessa$31,830
- Killeen$31,520
- Brownsville$27,370
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 Brownsville: questions
How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Brownsville?
$13.16 an hour on average, and $12.59 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Brownsville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,560, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Brownsville?
About $24,149 a year ($2,012 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,370. Texas has no state income tax.
Do food preparation workers earn more in Brownsville than elsewhere?
The average here is 23% 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX (15180). 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 1.53, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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