Food Preparation Workers salary · Illinois
Food Preparation Workers Salary in Illinois
Food Preparation Workers in Illinois earn a median of $34,850 a year, which is $16.75 an hour. That is about the same as the national median of $35,320. The state employs 34,820.
Illinois against the US May 2025
| Figure | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $34,850 | $35,320 |
| Median hourly | $16.75 | $16.98 |
| Mean annual | $36,260 | $35,290 |
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $25,810 |
| 90th percentile | $44,990 | $45,340 |
| Employment | 34,820 | 893,600 |
How Illinois compares
By median pay, Illinois ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for food preparation workers. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for food preparation workers May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $40,910 | $19.67 | 19,510 |
| California | $39,350 | $18.92 | 112,750 |
| Florida | $35,920 | $17.27 | 73,100 |
| New York | $35,610 | $17.12 | 62,380 |
| New Jersey | $35,540 | $17.09 | 24,730 |
| Georgia | $35,250 | $16.95 | 26,450 |
| Minnesota | $34,850 | $16.76 | 24,620 |
| Texas | $30,650 | $14.74 | 81,280 |
| North Carolina | $30,260 | $14.55 | 24,960 |
| Tennessee | $28,700 | $13.80 | 19,780 |
| Louisiana | $23,620 | $11.36 | 30,920 |
Common questions
How much do food preparation workers make in Illinois?
The median salary for food preparation workers in Illinois is $34,850 a year, or $16.75 an hour. That is about the same as the national median of $35,320. Illinois employs 34,820 of them.
Is Illinois a good state to work as a food preparation worker?
On pay alone, Illinois ranks 7 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Illinois?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $31,200 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $44,990 or more. The middle half falls between $31,200 and $37,880.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 35-2021 in Illinois. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national food preparation workers salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.