SOC 35-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Preparation Workers — Visalia
Visalia, CA · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $37,020 a year, within a few percent of 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 Visalia, 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 here is $37,020 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $35,320. Half of workers earn between $34,670 and $41,720. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $34,320 and the ninetieth at $46,920.
The area has 760 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 4.5 of every thousand jobs. San Jose leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $45,580. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 336th of 365 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,320 | −2.8% |
| 25th | $34,670 | −1.8% |
| Median (50th) | $37,020 | +4.8% |
| 75th | $41,720 | +18.1% |
| 90th | $46,920 | +32.8% |
| Mean | $39,420 | +11.6% |
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 | San Francisco | $41,000 | 14,470 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | $39,770 | 44,930 | |
| 6 | Santa Cruz | $39,110 | 830 | |
| 7 | Merced | $38,980 | 460 | |
| 8 | Vallejo | $38,840 | 930 | |
| 9 | San Diego | $38,780 | 9,360 | |
| 10 | El Centro | $38,610 | 320 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Visalia sit close to the national average, so $37,020 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$37,020as reported by BLSLocal price level
99.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$37,094US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $37,020 a year, 4.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,320 to $46,920 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 760 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 Visalia, CA?
The median annual wage is $37,020, or $17.80 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 Visalia, CA is 4.8% 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 Visalia, CA earns more than $46,920 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,320 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 760 jobs in this occupation in Visalia, 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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