Food Preparation Workers Salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Food Preparation Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $38,730. BLS estimates approximately 6,870 people work in this occupation in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is 9.7% above 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 | $35,070 | $16.86 |
| 25th percentile | $36,800 | $17.69 |
| Median (50th) | $38,730 | $18.62 |
| 75th percentile | $45,120 | $21.69 |
| 90th percentile | $50,280 | $24.17 |
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 1.9% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 8.9% — 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
- 5.682
- Location quotient
- 0.99
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA’s regional price level is above the national average (index 105.421, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $36,738 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.