SOC 35-2021 · Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in Mount Vernon, WA

The average salary for food preparation workers in Mount Vernon, Washington is $41,420 a year ($19.91 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,740: half of the 280 people in this job in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

$41,420average per year

$19.91 / hourMedian $37,740Take-home ≈ $35,461

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $50K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

280people in this job
+16%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 11Washington metros
102cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in Mount Vernon

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,470 a year or less, while the top 10% make $50,470 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Mount Vernon earn between $36,550 and $46,180.

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $50K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$41,420$3,452$19.91
Median$37,740$3,145$18.14
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,550$3,046$17.57
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,180$3,848$22.20

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

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Mount Vernon

On the average salary of $41,420, a single filer in Mount Vernon takes home about $35,461 a year, or $2,955 a month and $1,364 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

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

Prices in the Mount Vernon area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.4), so the average $41,420 buys what about $40,432 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Mount Vernon ($59,590). A typical home costs $589,523, or 14.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $41,420 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Washington cities

Mount Vernon ranks 3rd of 11 Washington metro areas for this job; Seattle pays the most ($44,390).

All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Washington

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 Mount Vernon, WA.

Food Preparation Workers salary in Mount Vernon: questions

How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Mount Vernon?

$19.91 an hour on average, and $18.14 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,470 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $35,461 a year ($2,955 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,420. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.

Do food preparation workers earn more in Mount Vernon than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% more 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 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA (34580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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