How much do Food Preparation Workers make in Dalton, GA?

Percentile spread

For Food Preparation Workers, the published 10th percentile is $22,430 and the 90th percentile is $37,310. The difference is $14,880, which is 49.4% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $24,820 to the 75th at $33,170, covers $8,350.

The mean annual wage is $29,930, which sits below the median of $30,100. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Dalton, GA median is 14.8% lower than the national median of $35,320 for Food Preparation Workers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $33,503, which is 5.1% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 14.6% lower than the Georgia median of $35,250.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Dalton, GA is 89.844, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $30,100 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Food Preparation Workers at $33,503 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

27 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Food Preparation Workers. Dalton, GA ranks 12th of 28 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Cleveland, TN is 26 miles away, with a median of $25,430 and employment of 280. That median is 15.5% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $28,871, against $33,503 here.
• Chattanooga, TN-GA is 33 miles away, with a median of $30,300 and employment of 1,780. That median is 0.7% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $33,128, against $33,503 here.
• Rome, GA is 42 miles away, with a median of $29,450 and employment of 240. That median is 2.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $32,664, against $33,503 here.

Employment share

Food Preparation Workers accounts for 0.31% of wage-and-salary employment in Dalton, GA (200 of 65,300). Nationally the occupation is 0.57% of employment (893,600 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.53 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.