Food Preparation Workers salary
in Richmond, VA
- Middle 50%
- $31,200–$36,120
- vs U.S. median
- -5%
- Metro rank
- #207 of 496
Food Preparation Workers in the Richmond, VA metro earn a median of $33,650 a year, based on BLS estimates for 2,890 jobs (May 2025). That is 5% below the U.S. median of $35,320 and 4% below the VA statewide median of $34,900. It ranks #207 of 496 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE2,890 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Food Preparation Workers pay in other VA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | $34,210 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $32,580 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $32,150 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $31,790 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $31,620 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $31,470 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $31,200 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $31,040 |
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RELATED JOBS IN RICHMOND
Questions
What is the average Food Preparation Workers salary in Richmond?
The BLS median is $33,650 a year (May 2025). Half of the 2,890 jobs pay between $31,200 and $36,120. The 10th percentile is $29,210 and the 90th is $38,390.
Is Richmond a high-paying metro for Food Preparation Workers?
That is 5% below the U.S. median of $35,320 and 4% below the VA statewide median of $34,900. It ranks #207 of 496 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Food Preparation Workers make an hour in Richmond?
About $16.18 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $33,650 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $15.00–$17.37 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.