Food Preparation Workers salary
in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Middle 50%
- $37,910–$46,700
- vs U.S. median
- +16%
- Metro rank
- #10 of 496
Food Preparation Workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro earn a median of $41,000 a year, based on BLS estimates for 14,470 jobs (May 2025). That is 16% above the U.S. median of $35,320 and 4% above the CA statewide median of $39,350. It ranks #10 of 496 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE14,470 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 CA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45,580 |
| Napa, CA | $42,810 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $42,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,770 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $39,110 |
| Merced, CA | $38,980 |
| Vallejo, CA | $38,840 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,780 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Questions
What is the average Food Preparation Workers salary in San Francisco?
The BLS median is $41,000 a year (May 2025). Half of the 14,470 jobs pay between $37,910 and $46,700. The 10th percentile is $36,600 and the 90th is $54,270.
Is San Francisco a high-paying metro for Food Preparation Workers?
That is 16% above the U.S. median of $35,320 and 4% above the CA statewide median of $39,350. It ranks #10 of 496 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Food Preparation Workers make an hour in San Francisco?
About $19.71 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $41,000 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $18.23–$22.45 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.