Food Preparation Workers pay in Cleveland
$35,230avg. a year
$16.94 an hour · 4,410 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Cleveland, OH metro area earn an average of $35,230 a year. That is about the same as the Ohio average of $34,560. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$35,360Median pay
$16.94Average hourly
+2%vs. Ohio average
4,410Jobs 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
31,110 jobs
Akron, OH
$34,660
$16.66 an hour
45,320 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$33,850
$16.27 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,330 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,460 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,830 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $41,010 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $42,780 |
| Bartenders | $39,210 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Cleveland?
The average is $35,230 a year, and the median is $35,360. About 4,410 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Ohio average?
That is about the same as the Ohio average of $34,560.
Is this job common in Cleveland?
It makes up 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 0.74 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: Cleveland, OH metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 17410). 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.