Food Preparation Workers pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
$33,310avg. a year
$16.01 an hour · 5,800 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earn an average of $33,310 a year. That is $2,040 (7%) more than the North Carolina average of $31,270. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$34,180Median pay
$16.01Average hourly
+7%vs. North Carolina average
5,800Jobs in this metro
Other North Carolina metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other North Carolina metro areas. Swipe to see all 15.
11,170 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$34,440
$16.56 an hour
23,120 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$34,040
$16.36 an hour
31,380 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$33,110
$15.92 an hour
41,250 jobs
Asheville, NC
$32,980
$15.85 an hour
51,130 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$32,490
$15.62 an hour
61,820 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$31,930
$15.35 an hour
75,290 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$31,160
$14.98 an hour
8410 jobs
Burlington, NC
$30,720
$14.77 an hour
9300 jobs
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$29,960
$14.41 an hour
10410 jobs
Greenville, NC
$29,710
$14.29 an hour
11260 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$29,160
$14.02 an hour
12750 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$28,980
$13.93 an hour
13930 jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$28,620
$13.76 an hour
14250 jobs
Goldsboro, NC
$28,300
$13.61 an hour
15280 jobs
Jacksonville, NC
$27,730
$13.33 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroNorth CarolinaU.S.
North Carolina metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,110 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $28,720 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,910 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $40,850 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $50,460 |
| Bartenders | $43,270 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The average is $33,310 a year, and the median is $34,180. About 5,800 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the North Carolina average?
That is $2,040 (7%) more than the North Carolina average of $31,270.
Is this job common in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It makes up 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 0.74 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: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 16740). 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.