SOC 35-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Preparation Workers — Mansfield
Mansfield, OH · 10 metro areas compared
At $34,270, median pay for Food Preparation Workers in Mansfield, OH tracks the national median of $35,320 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -3.4%
- Openings per year
- 148,000
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Mansfield, OH.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $34,270, median pay for Food Preparation Workers in Mansfield, OH tracks the national median of $35,320 closely. Pay ranges from under $23,560 at the tenth percentile to more than $37,860 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $28,120 to $36,580.
Employment stands at 200, or 4.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Columbus records the highest median at $36,930. Of the 218 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 186th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23,560 | −33.3% |
| 25th | $28,120 | −20.4% |
| Median (50th) | $34,270 | −3.0% |
| 75th | $36,580 | +3.6% |
| 90th | $37,860 | +7.2% |
| Mean | $32,580 | −7.8% |
Other metro areas in Ohio
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | $36,930 | 3,210 | |
| 2 | Cleveland | $35,360 | 4,410 | |
| 3 | Toledo | $35,260 | 950 | |
| 4 | Akron | $35,010 | 1,110 | |
| 5 | Cincinnati | $34,320 | 5,320 | |
| 6 | Sandusky | $34,080 | 270 | |
| 7 | Dayton | $33,110 | 1,060 | |
| 8 | Springfield | $31,840 | 160 | |
| 9 | Canton | $31,420 | 810 | |
| 10 | Youngstown | $30,310 | 720 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Mansfield run 11.1% below the national average, so the median of $34,270 goes as far as $38,549 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 9.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$34,270as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$38,549US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $34,270 a year, 3.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $23,560 to $37,860 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 200 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Columbus, at $36,930.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Preparation Workers in Mansfield, OH?
The median annual wage is $34,270, or $16.48 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $35,320, so pay in Mansfield, OH is 3.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Mansfield, OH earns more than $37,860 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $23,560 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Columbus, at $36,930 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 200 jobs in this occupation in Mansfield, OH. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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