Food Preparation Workers in Illinois

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

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

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

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

How Many Food Preparation Workers Work in Illinois?

There were approximately 32,430 workers employed as Food Preparation Workers in this state in 2018.

There were 32,680 Food Preparation Workers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 250 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Illinois

Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in this state are growing at a rate of 11.0% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.9%.

Illinois Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 6,860 annual Food Preparation Workers job openings in Illinois, and 40,790 total jobs in the year 2026.

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

What do Food Preparation Workers Make in Illinois?

In 2018 wages for Food Preparation Workers ranged from $19,180 to $32,900 with $24,220 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $9.22 to $15.82. The median hourly rate was $11.64.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $10.9 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.74.

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

Top Illinois 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
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	26,010	$24,700
St. Louis, MO-IL	6,410	$21,210
Rockford, IL	940	$21,980
Peoria, IL	810	$21,050
Springfield, IL	720	$22,860
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	700	$22,160
Champaign-Urbana, IL	540	$23,460
Bloomington, IL	500	$21,530
Decatur, IL	300	$22,590
Kankakee, IL	300	$22,880
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL	170	$20,700
Danville, IL	110	$21,690

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.