SOC 35-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Preparation Workers — San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Food Preparation Workers in San Francisco, CA is $41,000 per year, 16.1% above the national median of $35,320.
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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
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
The median wage for Food Preparation Workers in San Francisco, CA is $41,000 per year, 16.1% above the national median of $35,320. Half of workers earn between $37,910 and $46,700. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $36,600 and the ninetieth at $54,270.
The area has 14,470 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 6.1 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, San Jose records the highest median at $45,580. Of the 688 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 674th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,600 | +3.6% |
| 25th | $37,910 | +7.3% |
| Median (50th) | $41,000 | +16.1% |
| 75th | $46,700 | +32.2% |
| 90th | $54,270 | +53.7% |
| Mean | $43,290 | +22.6% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $45,580 | 5,930 | |
| 2 | Napa | $42,810 | 620 | |
| 3 | Santa Rosa | $42,640 | 1,410 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | $39,770 | 44,930 | |
| 5 | Santa Cruz | $39,110 | 830 | |
| 6 | Merced | $38,980 | 460 | |
| 7 | Vallejo | $38,840 | 930 | |
| 8 | San Diego | $38,780 | 9,360 | |
| 9 | El Centro | $38,610 | 320 | |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo | $38,550 | 900 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in San Francisco run 15.6% above the national average, so the median of $41,000 buys what $35,467 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 0.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$41,000as reported by BLSLocal price level
115.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$35,467US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $41,000 a year, 16.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,600 to $54,270 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 14,470 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $45,580.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Preparation Workers in San Francisco, CA?
The median annual wage is $41,000, or $19.71 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 San Francisco, CA is 16.1% higher. 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 San Francisco, CA earns more than $54,270 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,600 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 San Jose, at $45,580 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 14,470 jobs in this occupation in San Francisco, CA. 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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