---

Food Preparation Workers in California

Want to work as a Food Preparation Workers in California? Here’s what you need to know. Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

What do Food Preparation Workers Make in California?

The food preparation workers working in California, the typical annual salary is $38,150 per year (or about $18.34/hour).Pay can range from $34,840 at the 10th percentile to $47,910 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$34,840	$16.75
25th percentile	$35,820	$17.22
Median (50th)	$38,150	$18.34
75th percentile	$44,030	$21.17
90th percentile	$47,910	$23.03

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California relative to the national average — is 0.95.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, food preparation workers earn a median of $43,368 per year ($20.85/hour), lower than the California median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 207,914 food preparation workers nationwide. In California alone, about 98,950 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 11,450 food preparation workers.

Top California Metros for Food Preparation Workers

These are the California metros with the most food preparation workers in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	39,020	$37,580
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	12,470	$39,660
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	8,900	$37,990
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	8,010	$38,130
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	6,240	$44,120
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	5,230	$38,200
Fresno, CA	1,980	$36,220
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	1,800	$36,490
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	1,750	$35,720
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	1,390	$37,180
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	1,340	$40,810
Stockton-Lodi, CA	1,190	$36,540
Modesto, CA	1,080	$36,320
Salinas, CA	950	$38,670
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	810	$36,890
Visalia, CA	780	$34,630
Vallejo, CA	760	$37,790
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	670	$37,010
Napa, CA	530	$43,260
Chico, CA	410	$35,680
Merced, CA	390	$35,140
Yuba City, CA	330	$35,910
Redding, CA	320	$35,090
El Centro, CA	310	$35,780
Hanford-Corcoran, CA	230	$36,300

Top States for Food Preparation Workers Employment

The table below shows the states where the most food preparation workers work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	106,040
California	98,950
Florida	67,030
New York	51,880
Louisiana	35,130
Illinois	29,320
Georgia	27,200
New Jersey	25,170
North Carolina	24,420
Minnesota	23,720
Tennessee	22,530
Washington	21,090
Pennsylvania	20,540
Wisconsin	19,940
Ohio	19,290
Virginia	16,170
Kentucky	15,500
Arizona	15,500
Indiana	15,340
Missouri	15,250

Highest-Paying States for Food Preparation Workers

These states pay the most for food preparation workers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Washington	$38,950
Colorado	$38,670
District of Columbia	$38,440
California	$38,150
Massachusetts	$37,780
Hawaii	$37,240
Vermont	$37,030
Alaska	$36,710
Oregon	$36,390
New York	$36,030

Skills

Key food preparation workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for food preparation workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Food Preparation Workers typically:

• Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
• Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
• Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
• Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
• Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
• Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
• Weigh or measure ingredients.
• Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
• Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
• Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
• Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Training and Teaching Others
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Related occupations to food preparation workers include:

• Food Service Managers
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Private Household

Also Known As

Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Cafeteria Aide, Carver, Caterer, Caterer Helper, Catering Assistant, Chicken and Fish Butcher, Coffee Brewer, Coffee Maker, Cold Meat Cook, Cook, Cook Aide, Crew Mess Attendant, Culinary Worker, Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk).

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 35-2021.00