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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Real salary distribution from 288 tracked cities across 46 states. Compare entry-level, median, and senior compensation — then adjust for cost of living.
Before negotiating salary, check what the market actually pays — city by city. The national median salary for Food Processing Workers in 2026 is $40,736, with entry-level positions averaging $29,330 and senior roles reaching $57,845. But those numbers flatten a reality with enormous geographic variation — Sunnyvale pays a median of $74,200, while other markets fall well below the national average. We tracked 288 cities to build the complete picture.
Positioned in Production within the broader Production & Manufacturing industry, Food Processing Workers typically hold No formal requirement. The employment landscape is shaped by steady, and the day-to-day is plant. Those factors — education investment, demand trajectory, and work structure — all feed into the salary numbers below.
$45,150 separates the highest and lowest-paying cities. A Food Processing Worker in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $74,200 — $45,150 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($29,050). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent. That salary-to-cost ratio is genuinely competitive.
Breaking down the numbers: entry-level Food Processing Workers average $29,330, the median sits at $40,736, and senior earners pull in $57,845. That $28,515 gap represents the full earning trajectory of this career. The median is $39,631 below the national median household income of $80,367 — which tells you location and cost of living are critical factors in making this salary work.
Compare the extremes: the highest-paying trio of cities (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Irvine) averages $69,300, while the lowest-paying trio (Toledo, Detroit, Akron) averages $29,283. The $40,017 difference is the kind of number that reshapes career strategy — assuming the cost of living cooperates.
A Food Processing Worker in Sunnyvale, California earns a median of $74,200 — $45,150 more than their counterpart in Toledo, Ohio ($29,050). That gap alone is more than many cities' annual rent.
The 10th-percentile (entry-level) Food Processing Worker salary averages $29,330 nationally. That's below the typical median household income, which means early-career earnings depend heavily on location and cost of living.
| Country | Coverage | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 288 | $29,330 | $40,736 | $57,845 |
| United Kingdom | 27 | £15,242 | £21,169 | £30,060 |
| Canada | 21 | CA$24,137 | CA$33,524 | CA$47,605 |
| Australia | 13 | A$28,721 | A$39,891 | A$56,645 |
| Sweden | 24 | 171,812 kr | 238,628 kr | 338,852 kr |
| State | Cities | Entry (P10) | Median | Senior (P90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 61 | $35,400 | $49,166 | $69,816 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $34,209 | $47,513 | $67,468 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $34,020 | $47,250 | $67,095 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $31,500 | $43,750 | $62,125 |
| New Jersey | 4 | $31,122 | $43,225 | $61,380 |
| Washington | 8 | $30,524 | $42,394 | $60,199 |
| New York | 5 | $28,728 | $39,900 | $56,658 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $28,728 | $39,900 | $56,658 |
| Florida | 22 | $28,510 | $39,598 | $56,229 |
| Colorado | 11 | $28,018 | $38,914 | $55,257 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $27,972 | $38,850 | $55,167 |
| Nevada | 5 | $27,922 | $38,780 | $55,068 |
| Arizona | 12 | $27,783 | $38,588 | $54,794 |
| Oregon | 5 | $27,720 | $38,500 | $54,670 |
| Idaho | 3 | $27,636 | $38,383 | $54,504 |
| Connecticut | 5 | $27,418 | $38,080 | $54,074 |
| Utah | 4 | $27,342 | $37,975 | $53,925 |
| Virginia | 7 | $26,892 | $37,350 | $53,037 |
| South Carolina | 3 | $26,544 | $36,867 | $52,351 |
| Alaska | 1 | $26,460 | $36,750 | $52,185 |
| Illinois | 5 | $26,158 | $36,330 | $51,589 |
| North Carolina | 9 | $25,508 | $35,428 | $50,307 |
| New Mexico | 3 | $25,200 | $35,000 | $49,700 |
| Montana | 1 | $25,200 | $35,000 | $49,700 |
| Tennessee | 6 | $25,116 | $34,883 | $49,534 |
| Texas | 40 | $24,992 | $34,711 | $49,290 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $24,948 | $34,650 | $49,203 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | $24,822 | $34,475 | $48,955 |
| Georgia | 6 | $24,738 | $34,358 | $48,789 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | $24,696 | $34,300 | $48,706 |
| Kansas | 4 | $24,570 | $34,125 | $48,458 |
| Michigan | 6 | $24,486 | $34,008 | $48,292 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $24,192 | $33,600 | $47,712 |
| Maryland | 1 | $24,192 | $33,600 | $47,712 |
| Nebraska | 2 | $23,940 | $33,250 | $47,215 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $23,940 | $33,250 | $47,215 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | $23,310 | $32,375 | $45,973 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $23,184 | $32,200 | $45,724 |
| Louisiana | 4 | $22,869 | $31,763 | $45,103 |
| Missouri | 4 | $22,869 | $31,763 | $45,103 |
| Alabama | 5 | $22,781 | $31,640 | $44,929 |
| Indiana | 3 | $22,428 | $31,150 | $44,233 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $22,428 | $31,150 | $44,233 |
| Iowa | 2 | $22,176 | $30,800 | $43,736 |
| Ohio | 6 | $22,134 | $30,742 | $43,653 |
| Mississippi | 1 | $21,168 | $29,400 | $41,748 |
At the state level, California leads with an average Food Processing Worker median of $49,166 across 61 cities, followed by Massachusetts ($47,513) and Hawaii ($47,250). Zoom out to the career trajectory, and the entry-level picture changes. The lowest-paying states — Mississippi, Ohio, Iowa — offer medians between $29,400 and $30,800. But state averages mask city-level variation that's often just as large.
When you adjust the top-paying cities for cost of living, the ranking reshuffles. Sunnyvale ($74,200 nominal, 212 cost index) delivers $35,000 in purchasing power — maintaining its lead even after cost adjustment. This is the metric that matters for anyone considering a geo-based career move.
Raw salary divided by the local cost index — this shows where your paycheck buys the most.
| # | City | Nominal Salary | Cost Index | Adjusted Salary | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale California | $74,200 | 212 | $35,000 | $47,278 |
| 2 | Santa Clara California | $69,300 | 198 | $35,000 | $44,483 |
| 3 | Irvine California | $64,400 | 184 | $35,000 | $41,687 |
| 4 | San Francisco California | $63,350 | 181 | $35,000 | $41,088 |
| 5 | Carlsbad California | $62,300 | 178 | $35,000 | $40,489 |
| 6 | San Jose California | $61,950 | 177 | $35,000 | $40,289 |
| 7 | Fremont California | $61,950 | 177 | $35,000 | $40,289 |
| 8 | Berkeley California | $60,550 | 173 | $35,000 | $39,491 |
| 9 | Costa Mesa California | $60,550 | 173 | $35,000 | $39,491 |
| 10 | Huntington Beach California | $59,150 | 169 | $35,000 | $38,692 |
Career economics for Food Processing Workers: entry level averages $29,330, mid-career hits $40,736, and experienced professionals reach $57,845. That's a 2.0× multiplier from start to peak. The path typically requires No formal requirement, and the work is plant. The outlook: steady. In the right market, this is a six-figure career path.
The weighted national median salary for Food Processing Workers is $40,736 in 2026, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics across 288 U.S. metro areas. Entry-level (10th percentile) averages $29,330, while experienced professionals at the 90th percentile average $57,845.
The highest-paying city for Food Processing Workers is Sunnyvale, California with a median salary of $74,200. The top 3 cities are Sunnyvale ($74,200), Santa Clara ($69,300), Irvine ($64,400). Note: high-paying cities often have higher costs of living — check the cost-adjusted rankings above for purchasing power.
The lowest median Food Processing Worker salary in our data is in Toledo, Ohio at $29,050. However, lower-paying cities often have significantly lower costs of living, which can offset the pay gap. Always compare salary data alongside local cost of living.
Entry-level Food Processing Workers (10th percentile) average $29,330 nationally. This varies by city — in the highest-paying markets, entry-level pay can be close to $53,424. Experience, certifications, and employer type all influence starting salary.
At the 90th percentile (senior level), Food Processing Workers average $57,845 nationally — $28,515 more than entry-level. In top-paying cities, senior Food Processing Workers can earn up to $105,364.
The top-paying states for Food Processing Workers are California ($49,166 median), Massachusetts ($47,513 median), Hawaii ($47,250 median). State averages are computed across all tracked cities in each state, weighted equally.
The typical education path for a Food Processing Worker involves No formal requirement. The field is in the Production & Manufacturing sector (Production), and the career outlook is steady. Work style is typically plant.
With a national median of $40,736 and representation across 288 metro areas, Food Processing Worker offers a foundation that can be strengthened by strategic location choices. The $28,515 gap between entry and senior pay shows room for salary growth. Industry outlook: steady.
All salary data on this page is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan areas. We present 10th percentile (entry), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks. Cost-of-living adjustments use our core database of 288 cities.
Salary data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys employers across U.S. metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. We present the 10th percentile (entry-level), 50th percentile (median), and 90th percentile (senior) pay benchmarks.
Cost-of-living adjustments use Livably's core index derived from Zillow rent data, Census income surveys, and regional BLS price data. Take-home pay estimates apply simplified federal brackets, 7.65% FICA, and state income tax rates from the Tax Foundation.
State and national averages are computed as simple means across all tracked cities with data for this occupation. Rankings are updated monthly as new BLS releases become available.