Food Preparation Workers Salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $34,560. BLS estimates approximately 1,170 people work in this occupation in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is 2.2% below the national median ($35,320).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $24,820 | $11.93 |
| 25th percentile | $28,960 | $13.92 |
| Median (50th) | $34,560 | $16.62 |
| 75th percentile | $37,480 | $18.02 |
| 90th percentile | $44,950 | $21.61 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 2.4% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 16.3% — Use with caution
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.396
- Location quotient
- 0.59
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC’s regional price level is below the national average (index 97.572, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $35,420 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.