Food Preparation Workers Salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is $29,500. BLS estimates approximately 420 people work in this occupation in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN is 16.5% 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 | $22,380 | $10.76 |
| 25th percentile | $26,850 | $12.91 |
| Median (50th) | $29,500 | $14.18 |
| 75th percentile | $36,530 | $17.56 |
| 90th percentile | $38,140 | $18.34 |
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 2.1% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 8.7% — Reliable
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
- 4.073
- Location quotient
- 0.71
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN’s regional price level is below the national average (index 93.43, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $31,574 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.