Food Preparation Workers in Pennsylvania

Considering a career as a Food Preparation Worker in Pennsylvania?

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

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

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

How Many Food Preparation Workers Work in Pennsylvania?

19,310 people worked as Food Preparation Workers in 2018 in this state.

There were 22,820 Food Preparation Workers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 3,510 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Pennsylvania

Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in this state are growing at a rate of 7.0% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.9%.

Pennsylvania Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 5,070 annual job openings, and 30,200 total jobs in 2026 for Food Preparation Workers in this state.

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

What do Food Preparation Workers Make in Pennsylvania?

In 2018 wages for Food Preparation Workers ranged from $17,040 to $31,110 with $22,060 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $8.19 to $14.96. The median hourly rate was $10.61.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $10.5 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.11.

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

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Top Pennsylvania 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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	69,480	$25,980
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	13,080	$22,790
Pittsburgh, PA	3,020	$23,150
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	1,660	$22,310
Lancaster, PA	1,450	$20,680
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	1,070	$20,700
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA	1,030	$21,620
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	800	$19,850
Erie, PA	610	$21,630
York-Hanover, PA	450	$21,870
Reading, PA	440	$19,850
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA	310	$22,210
State College, PA	230	$24,370
East Stroudsburg, PA	200	$21,070
Altoona, PA	190	$19,560
Williamsport, PA	160	$20,330
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA	150	$19,730
Johnstown, PA	150	$20,560
Gettysburg, PA	80	$19,700

Top States for Food Preparation Workers Employment

View the list below to see 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.