How much do Food Preparation Workers make in Waco, TX?

Percentile spread

For Food Preparation Workers, the published 10th percentile is $22,890 and the 90th percentile is $37,960. The difference is $15,070, which is 52.5% 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 $27,250 to the 75th at $34,370, covers $7,120.

The mean annual wage is $30,440, which sits above the median of $28,690. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Waco, TX median is 18.8% lower than the national median of $35,320 for Food Preparation Workers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $30,999, which is 12.2% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 6.4% lower than the Texas median of $30,650.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Waco, TX is 92.550, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $28,690 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Food Preparation Workers at $30,999 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

13 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Food Preparation Workers. Waco, TX ranks 8th of 14 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).).

• Killeen-Temple, TX is 40 miles away, with a median of $30,300 and employment of 910. That median is 5.6% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $33,248, against $30,999 here.
• College Station-Bryan, TX is 75 miles away, with a median of $34,380 and employment of 1,680. That median is 19.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $37,801, against $30,999 here.
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is 89 miles away, with a median of $30,740 and employment of 21,700. That median is 7.1% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $29,819, against $30,999 here.

Employment share

Food Preparation Workers accounts for 0.72% of wage-and-salary employment in Waco, TX (940 of 129,860). Nationally the occupation is 0.57% of employment (893,600 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.26 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.