Food Preparation Workers pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
$35,430avg. a year
$17.03 an hour · 10,150 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area earn an average of $35,430 a year. That is about the same as the Florida average of $35,210. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$36,330Median pay
$17.03Average hourly
+1%vs. Florida average
10,150Jobs in this metro
Other Florida metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other Florida metro areas. Swipe to see all 21.
11,610 jobs
Naples-Marco Island, FL
$38,130
$18.33 an hour
23,480 jobs
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
$37,070
$17.82 an hour
31,050 jobs
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
$36,130
$17.37 an hour
41,590 jobs
Port St. Lucie, FL
$35,880
$17.25 an hour
52,460 jobs
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
$35,610
$17.12 an hour
64,630 jobs
Jacksonville, FL
$35,550
$17.09 an hour
719,630 jobs
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$35,500
$17.07 an hour
8630 jobs
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL
$35,500
$17.07 an hour
9760 jobs
Punta Gorda, FL
$35,440
$17.04 an hour
102,050 jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
$34,940
$16.80 an hour
1110,300 jobs
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
$34,590
$16.63 an hour
122,540 jobs
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
$34,380
$16.53 an hour
13500 jobs
Wildwood-The Villages, FL
$34,380
$16.53 an hour
141,320 jobs
Gainesville, FL
$34,240
$16.46 an hour
15700 jobs
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
$33,860
$16.28 an hour
161,680 jobs
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
$33,850
$16.28 an hour
17960 jobs
Ocala, FL
$33,790
$16.25 an hour
181,930 jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$33,550
$16.13 an hour
19430 jobs
Homosassa Springs, FL
$33,540
$16.13 an hour
201,570 jobs
Tallahassee, FL
$32,780
$15.76 an hour
21230 jobs
Sebring, FL
$32,510
$15.63 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
How Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroFloridaU.S.
Florida metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,560 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,210 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $44,090 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $46,810 |
| Bartenders | $45,080 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
The average is $35,430 a year, and the median is $36,330. About 10,150 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Florida average?
That is about the same as the Florida average of $35,210.
Is this job common in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater?
It makes up 7.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.22 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 35-2021. Metro area: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 45300). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.