Food Preparation Workers pay in Cincinnati
$33,850avg. a year
$16.27 an hour · 5,320 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area earn an average of $33,850 a year. That is $710 (2%) less than the Ohio average of $34,560. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$34,320Median pay
$16.27Average hourly
-2%vs. Ohio average
5,320Jobs in this metro
Other Ohio metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other Ohio metro areas. Swipe to see all 14.
13,210 jobs
Columbus, OH
$37,060
$17.82 an hour
2950 jobs
Toledo, OH
$35,460
$17.05 an hour
34,410 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$35,230
$16.94 an hour
41,110 jobs
Akron, OH
$34,660
$16.66 an hour
51,060 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$33,830
$16.26 an hour
6270 jobs
Sandusky, OH
$33,700
$16.20 an hour
7160 jobs
Springfield, OH
$33,180
$15.95 an hour
8810 jobs
Canton-Massillon, OH
$33,090
$15.91 an hour
9200 jobs
Mansfield, OH
$32,580
$15.66 an hour
10230 jobs
Lima, OH
$32,420
$15.59 an hour
11720 jobs
Youngstown-Warren, OH
$31,770
$15.27 an hour
12310 jobs
Wheeling, WV-OH
$30,070
$14.46 an hour
13160 jobs
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH
$28,920
$13.91 an hour
14850 jobs
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
$26,880
$12.92 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
How Cincinnati compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroOhioU.S.
Ohio metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Cincinnati
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $35,010 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $29,430 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,630 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $30,050 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $44,740 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,230 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Cincinnati?
The average is $33,850 a year, and the median is $34,320. About 5,320 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Ohio average?
That is $710 (2%) less than the Ohio average of $34,560.
Is this job common in Cincinnati?
It makes up 4.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 0.84 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 35-2021. Metro area: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 17140). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.