Food Preparation Workers in Florida

Is Florida a good place for you to work as a Food Preparation Worker?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in Florida are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Food Preparation Workers in Florida is growing faster than average.

• Food Preparation Workers in Florida earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Food Preparation Workers Work in Florida?

In 2018, there were 62,010 Food Preparation Workers working in the state.

There were 62,530 Food Preparation Workers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 520 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 8,670 Food Preparation Workers working in it, which means Florida has more Food Preparation Workers than average.

Job Projections for Florida

Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in this state are growing at a rate of 17.6% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.9%.

Florida Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 11,670 annual job openings, and a total of 69,000 jobs for Florida Food Preparation Workers in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 157,700 annual jobs and 939,700 total jobs in 2026.

What do Food Preparation Workers Make in Florida?

In 2018 wages for Food Preparation Workers ranged from $18,510 to $31,850 with $23,020 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $8.9 to $15.31. The median hourly rate was $11.07.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $10.76 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.31.

The median salary in Florida is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top Florida Metros for Food Preparation Workers

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Food Preparation Workers.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	19,130	$23,510
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	7,010	$23,320
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	6,960	$23,560
Jacksonville, FL	6,180	$22,420
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL	2,540	$23,360
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	2,500	$23,130
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	1,920	$22,910
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	1,910	$23,020
Tallahassee, FL	1,430	$20,520
Port St. Lucie, FL	1,230	$22,860
Gainesville, FL	1,200	$21,820
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	1,160	$20,300
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL	1,120	$27,610
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	720	$22,740
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL	690	$25,830
Panama City, FL	660	$22,170
Punta Gorda, FL	600	$22,280
Ocala, FL	470	$23,150
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL	430	$21,990
Homosassa Springs, FL	350	$22,630
The Villages, FL	320	$23,310
Sebring, FL	300	$21,970

Top States for Food Preparation Workers Employment

The table below shows the states where most Food Preparation Workers work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	102,680	$26,040
Florida	62,010	$23,020
New York	61,600	$26,680
Texas	55,060	$22,730
Louisiana	35,890	$18,350
Georgia	35,360	$20,350
New Jersey	32,960	$22,520
Illinois	32,430	$24,220
Ohio	26,740	$21,040
North Carolina	19,820	$21,660
Virginia	19,640	$20,640
Pennsylvania	19,310	$22,060
Tennessee	18,060	$20,550
Washington	17,380	$28,210
Indiana	16,220	$20,930
Maryland	15,620	$24,220
Massachusetts	15,080	$27,420
Michigan	14,630	$22,530
Arizona	14,220	$24,070
Oregon	14,110	$25,730

Below are the states where Food Preparation Workers get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$29,100
Washington	$28,210
Nevada	$28,130
Rhode Island	$27,910
Massachusetts	$27,420
New York	$26,680
Alaska	$26,540
Connecticut	$26,430
Minnesota	$26,180
California	$26,040

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.