Food Preparation Workers pay in Louisville/Jefferson County
$31,570avg. a year
$15.18 an hour · 4,910 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn an average of $31,570 a year. That is $2,810 (10%) more than the Kentucky average of $28,760. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$29,640Median pay
$15.18Average hourly
+10%vs. Kentucky average
4,910Jobs in this metro
Other Kentucky metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other Kentucky metro areas. Swipe to see all 8.
15,320 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$33,850
$16.27 an hour
22,310 jobs
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$29,230
$14.05 an hour
3480 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$28,490
$13.70 an hour
4790 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$28,300
$13.61 an hour
5460 jobs
Owensboro, KY
$28,220
$13.57 an hour
6660 jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$28,000
$13.46 an hour
7850 jobs
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
$26,880
$12.92 an hour
8490 jobs
Elizabethtown, KY
$26,650
$12.81 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 Louisville/Jefferson County compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroKentuckyU.S.
Kentucky metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Louisville/Jefferson County
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $26,590 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,750 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $36,360 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $43,970 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $38,550 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Louisville/Jefferson County?
The average is $31,570 a year, and the median is $29,640. About 4,910 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Kentucky average?
That is $2,810 (10%) more than the Kentucky average of $28,760.
Is this job common in Louisville/Jefferson County?
It makes up 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.25 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: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 31140). 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.