SOC 35-2021 · Lubbock, TX metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in Lubbock, TX

The average salary for food preparation workers in Lubbock, Texas is $29,320 a year ($14.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,550: half of the 1,140 people in this job in the Lubbock, 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).

$29,320average per year

$14.10 / hourMedian $28,550Take-home ≈ $25,739

  • $20K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,140people in this job
-18%vs U.S. metro average
#17 of 26Texas metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in Lubbock

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,500 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Lubbock earn between $24,450 and $35,250.

  • $20K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,320$2,443$14.10
Median$28,550$2,379$13.73
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,450$2,038$11.75
Experienced (75th percentile)$35,250$2,938$16.95

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

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Lubbock

On the average salary of $29,320, a single filer in Lubbock takes home about $25,739 a year, or $2,145 a month and $990 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 Lubbock a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Lubbock area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.3), so the average $29,320 buys what about $32,108 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Lubbock ($42,130). A typical home costs $213,766, or 7.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,320 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Texas cities

Lubbock ranks 17th 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 Lubbock, TX.

Food Preparation Workers salary in Lubbock: questions

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

$14.10 an hour on average, and $13.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,450, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $25,739 a year ($2,145 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,320. Texas has no state income tax.

Do food preparation workers earn more in Lubbock 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 Lubbock, TX (31180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.19, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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