Food Preparation Workers in Wisconsin

Considering a career as a Food Preparation Worker in Wisconsin?

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

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

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

How Many Food Preparation Workers Work in Wisconsin?

There were approximately 7,860 workers employed as Food Preparation Workers in this state in 2018.

There were 8,690 Food Preparation Workers employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 830 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Wisconsin

Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in this state are growing at a rate of 7.7% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.9%.

Wisconsin Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 2,090 annual job openings, and a total of 12,480 jobs for Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

In 2018 wages for Food Preparation Workers ranged from $16,980 to $31,080 with $21,960 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $8.17 to $14.94. The median hourly rate was $10.56.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $10.26 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.30.

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

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Top Wisconsin 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
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	6,200	$26,640
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	2,080	$21,800
Madison, WI	1,020	$24,150
Green Bay, WI	360	$21,890
Duluth, MN-WI	290	$25,590
Racine, WI	260	$22,710
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	250	$20,270
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	220	$21,470
Appleton, WI	150	$20,460
Eau Claire, WI	140	$24,850
Sheboygan, WI	100	$20,020

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.