Food Preparation Workers pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
$34,950avg. a year
$16.80 an hour · 10,780 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn an average of $34,950 a year. That is $3,070 (10%) more than the Pennsylvania average of $31,880. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$34,560Median pay
$16.80Average hourly
+10%vs. Pennsylvania average
10,780Jobs in this metro
Other Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other Pennsylvania metro areas. Swipe to see all 15.
11,360 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$33,970
$16.33 an hour
2590 jobs
Reading, PA
$32,410
$15.58 an hour
3940 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$32,240
$15.50 an hour
4970 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$32,070
$15.42 an hour
5430 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$31,740
$15.26 an hour
6180 jobs
Lebanon, PA
$31,730
$15.25 an hour
7120 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$31,690
$15.24 an hour
8260 jobs
State College, PA
$31,500
$15.15 an hour
9370 jobs
Erie, PA
$30,920
$14.86 an hour
103,290 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$30,870
$14.84 an hour
11270 jobs
Altoona, PA
$30,670
$14.74 an hour
12940 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$30,040
$14.44 an hour
13170 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$29,980
$14.42 an hour
14190 jobs
Williamsport, PA
$29,290
$14.08 an hour
15120 jobs
Johnstown, PA
$25,290
$12.16 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroPennsylvaniaU.S.
Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $38,970 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $39,980 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,880 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $41,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $48,770 |
| Bartenders | $41,320 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The average is $34,950 a year, and the median is $34,560. About 10,780 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Pennsylvania average?
That is $3,070 (10%) more than the Pennsylvania average of $31,880.
Is this job common in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It makes up 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 0.65 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: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 37980). 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.