The median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is $36,220 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $36,720.
Pay spans roughly $29,440 at the 10th percentile to $44,650 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $17.41 per hour. An estimated 14,120 people work as food preparation workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
| Median (annual) | $36,220 |
| Mean (annual) | $36,720 |
| Median (hourly) | $17.41 |
| 10th percentile | $29,440 |
| 90th percentile | $44,650 |
| Employment | 14,120 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.