Food Preparation Workers pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
$34,380avg. a year
$16.53 an hour · 6,410 employed
Food Preparation Workers in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area earn an average of $34,380 a year. That is $3,520 (11%) more than the Tennessee average of $30,860. The U.S. average is $35,290.
$34,640Median pay
$16.53Average hourly
+11%vs. Tennessee average
6,410Jobs in this metro
Other Tennessee metro areas
Average pay for food preparation workers in other Tennessee metro areas. Swipe to see all 9.
12,510 jobs
Knoxville, TN
$31,220
$15.01 an hour
21,780 jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$30,900
$14.86 an hour
33,530 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$29,130
$14.01 an hour
4930 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$28,670
$13.79 an hour
5790 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$28,300
$13.61 an hour
6580 jobs
Jackson, TN
$28,200
$13.56 an hour
7280 jobs
Cleveland, TN
$27,950
$13.44 an hour
8800 jobs
Johnson City, TN
$27,700
$13.32 an hour
9280 jobs
Morristown, TN
$27,480
$13.21 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroTennesseeU.S.
Tennessee metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $39,040 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,430 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $31,580 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $47,490 |
| Bartenders | $32,090 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $29,700 |
Questions and answers
How much do food preparation workers make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The average is $34,380 a year, and the median is $34,640. About 6,410 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Tennessee average?
That is $3,520 (11%) more than the Tennessee average of $30,860.
Is this job common in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It makes up 5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.02 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: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 34980). 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.