Pay distribution $24,020 10th $28,810 25th $36,020 75th $41,290 90th
Half of Food Preparation Workers in the Helena metro area earn more than $34,960 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $28,810 and $36,020.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $24,020 $28,810 $34,960 $36,020 $41,290 Hourly $11.55 $13.85 $16.81 $17.32 $19.85
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Helena metro areathis metro area
$34,960 median for Helena metro area; middle half earns $28,810 to $36,020
$33,860 median for Montana; middle half earns $28,710 to $37,110
$35,320 median for United States; middle half earns $29,950 to $38,550
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +3% vs Montana overall and −1% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $21,960 $30,200 $38,440 $46,680 Ponce, PR — $21,960 Mayaguez, PR — $22,050 Alexandria, LA — $22,080 Aguadilla, PR — $22,290 Arecibo, PR — $22,300 Monroe, LA — $22,430 Guayama, PR — $22,500 Hammond, LA — $22,740 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $22,800 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $22,810 Lafayette, LA — $22,920 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $22,980 Lake Charles, LA — $23,380 Elizabethtown, KY — $23,600 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $24,370 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $24,380 Baton Rouge, LA — $24,450 Enid, OK — $24,810 Johnstown, PA — $24,920 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $24,960 Cleveland, TN — $25,430 El Paso, TX — $25,810 Gadsden, AL — $26,050 Longview, TX — $26,150 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $26,180 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $26,200 Hot Springs, AR — $26,340 Bowling Green, KY — $26,410 Dothan, AL — $26,580 Johnson City, TN — $26,850 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $26,900 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $26,960 Jackson, TN — $26,970 Morristown, TN — $27,020 Clarksville, TN-KY — $27,030 Lawton, OK — $27,130 Owensboro, KY — $27,130 Jackson, MS — $27,200 Paducah, KY-IL — $27,210 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $27,230 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $27,290 Midland, MI — $27,290 Texarkana, TX-AR — $27,290 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $27,340 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $27,370 Eagle Pass, TX — $27,390 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $27,410 Montgomery, AL — $27,420 Jonesboro, AR — $27,580 Fayetteville, NC — $27,590 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $27,680 Victoria, TX — $27,680 Laredo, TX — $27,780 Muncie, IN — $27,860 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $27,880 Jacksonville, NC — $27,900 Charleston, WV — $27,970 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $27,980 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $28,020 Goldsboro, NC — $28,130 Tyler, TX — $28,150 Decatur, AL — $28,180 Sumter, SC — $28,230 Greenville, NC — $28,240 Abilene, TX — $28,250 Hattiesburg, MS — $28,270 Mobile, AL — $28,390 Corpus Christi, TX — $28,430 Evansville, IN — $28,440 Williamsport, PA — $28,480 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $28,490 Tuscaloosa, AL — $28,530 Lubbock, TX — $28,550 Terre Haute, IN — $28,610 Sherman-Denison, TX — $28,620 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $28,640 San Angelo, TX — $28,640 Waco, TX — $28,690 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $28,700 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $28,770 Bay City, MI — $28,790 Rocky Mount, NC — $28,850 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $28,860 Saginaw, MI — $28,960 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $28,960 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $29,000 Joplin, MO-KS — $29,010 Valdosta, GA — $29,020 Columbus, GA-AL — $29,030 Wheeling, WV-OH — $29,040 Amarillo, TX — $29,160 Florence, SC — $29,180 Jefferson City, MO — $29,200 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $29,210 Birmingham, AL — $29,260 Manhattan, KS — $29,270 Beckley, WV — $29,290 Pocatello, ID — $29,290 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $29,340 Rome, GA — $29,450 Spartanburg, SC — $29,460 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $29,470 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $29,500 Erie, PA — $29,620 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $29,640 Niles, MI — $29,640 Battle Creek, MI — $29,650 Burlington, NC — $29,660 Columbia, MO — $29,710 Lima, OH — $29,720 Huntsville, AL — $29,850 Chambersburg, PA — $29,890 Ames, IA — $29,900 Wichita, KS — $29,940 Twin Falls, ID — $29,960 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $29,970 Monroe, MI — $30,060 Dalton, GA — $30,100 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $30,100 Pittsburgh, PA — $30,120 Kokomo, IN — $30,160 Oklahoma City, OK — $30,160 Columbia, SC — $30,260 Altoona, PA — $30,300 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $30,300 Killeen-Temple, TX — $30,300 Topeka, KS — $30,300 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $30,310 Bloomington, IN — $30,340 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $30,360 Tulsa, OK — $30,370 Logan, UT-ID — $30,400 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $30,430 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $30,460 Great Falls, MT — $30,490 Idaho Falls, ID — $30,490 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $30,490 Odessa, TX — $30,550 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $30,560 Morgantown, WV — $30,620 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $30,640 Rapid City, SD — $30,670 Hinesville, GA — $30,690 Albany, GA — $30,740 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $30,740 Roanoke, VA — $30,790 Lynchburg, VA — $30,800 Sheboygan, WI — $30,810 Fort Wayne, IN — $30,850 Cedar Rapids, IA — $30,940 Knoxville, TN — $30,960 Farmington, NM — $31,030 York-Hanover, PA — $31,100 Jackson, MI — $31,120 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $31,190 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $31,200 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $31,200 Kankakee, IL — $31,200 Lebanon, PA — $31,200 State College, PA — $31,210 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $31,290 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $31,330 Lawrence, KS — $31,350 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $31,370 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $31,410 Canton-Massillon, OH — $31,420 Salisbury, MD — $31,460 Gettysburg, PA — $31,500 Flint, MI — $31,510 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $31,550 Lancaster, PA — $31,580 Reading, PA — $31,580 Winchester, VA-WV — $31,620 Fond du Lac, WI — $31,720 Wausau, WI — $31,720 Warner Robins, GA — $31,830 Wilmington, NC — $31,830 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $31,840 Springfield, OH — $31,840 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $31,850 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $31,920 Traverse City, MI — $31,980 Bloomington, IL — $32,030 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $32,050 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $32,090 Asheville, NC — $32,110 Peoria, IL — $32,140 Columbus, IN — $32,150 Harrisonburg, VA — $32,150 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $32,150 Reno, NV — $32,180 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $32,210 Kansas City, MO-KS — $32,230 Sebring, FL — $32,330 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $32,340 Las Cruces, NM — $32,360 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $32,390 St. Louis, MO-IL — $32,400 Dubuque, IA — $32,520 Rockford, IL — $32,530 Springfield, IL — $32,530 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $32,580 Green Bay, WI — $32,720 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $33,060 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $33,110 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $33,120 Midland, TX — $33,200 Utica-Rome, NY — $33,250 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $33,330 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $33,370 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $33,430 Mankato, MN — $33,440 Decatur, IL — $33,450 St. Cloud, MN — $33,540 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $33,610 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $33,640 Richmond, VA — $33,650 Eau Claire, WI — $33,680 Tallahassee, FL — $33,760 Lexington Park, MD — $33,840 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $33,870 Duluth, MN-WI — $34,010 Elmira, NY — $34,010 Appleton, WI — $34,060 Sandusky, OH — $34,080 Ann Arbor, MI — $34,100 Savannah, GA — $34,130 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $34,180 Glens Falls, NY — $34,200 Charlottesville, VA — $34,210 Mansfield, OH — $34,270 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $34,320 Albuquerque, NM — $34,380 College Station-Bryan, TX — $34,380 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $34,390 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $34,420 Ogden, UT — $34,430 Fairbanks-College, AK — $34,530 Dover, DE — $34,560 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $34,560 Ocala, FL — $34,560 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $34,560 Winston-Salem, NC — $34,580 Billings, MT — $34,590 Grand Island, NE — $34,590 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $34,610 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $34,640 Casper, WY — $34,660 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $34,700 Anchorage, AK — $34,760 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $34,770 St. George, UT — $34,800 Kenosha, WI — $34,840 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $34,850 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $34,880 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $34,880 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $34,900 Homosassa Springs, FL — $34,920 Gainesville, GA — $34,950 Helena, MT — $34,960 Bangor, ME — $34,970 Akron, OH — $35,010 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $35,020 Missoula, MT — $35,020 Rochester, NY — $35,020 Syracuse, NY — $35,020 Gainesville, FL — $35,050 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $35,080 Carson City, NV — $35,090 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $35,090 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $35,100 Iowa City, IA — $35,120 Kingston, NY — $35,130 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $35,180 Lincoln, NE — $35,210 Vineland, NJ — $35,240 Toledo, OH — $35,260 Tucson, AZ — $35,260 Boise City, ID — $35,340 Springfield, MO — $35,340 Cleveland, OH — $35,360 Binghamton, NY — $35,370 Yuma, AZ — $35,390 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $35,410 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $35,410 Grants Pass, OR — $35,430 Medford, OR — $35,440 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $35,470 Rochester, MN — $35,470 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $35,550 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $35,600 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $35,600 Pueblo, CO — $35,620 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $35,630 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $35,650 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $35,670 Wichita Falls, TX — $35,700 Lewiston, ID-WA — $35,780 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $35,810 Albany, OR — $35,860 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $35,860 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $35,870 Cheyenne, WY — $35,930 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $35,950 Springfield, MA — $36,020 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $36,090 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $36,090 Santa Fe, NM — $36,120 Ithaca, NY — $36,140 Omaha, NE-IA — $36,140 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $36,160 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $36,200 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $36,220 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $36,250 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $36,260 Punta Gorda, FL — $36,310 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $36,330 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $36,330 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $36,360 Redding, CA — $36,400 Corvallis, OR — $36,510 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $36,510 Worcester, MA — $36,550 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $36,560 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $36,580 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $36,580 Fargo, ND-MN — $36,590 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $36,680 Jacksonville, FL — $36,730 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $36,830 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $36,920 Columbus, OH — $36,930 Pittsfield, MA — $36,930 Madison, WI — $36,940 New Haven, CT — $36,970 Port St. Lucie, FL — $37,000 Visalia, CA — $37,020 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $37,040 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $37,090 Grand Junction, CO — $37,240 Portland-South Portland, ME — $37,260 Bismarck, ND — $37,270 Salem, OR — $37,300 Urban Honolulu, HI — $37,300 Minot, ND — $37,310 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $37,320 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $37,430 Colorado Springs, CO — $37,450 Chico, CA — $37,510 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $37,550 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $37,580 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $37,630 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $37,680 Flagstaff, AZ — $37,710 Fresno, CA — $37,730 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $37,740 Yuba City, CA — $37,740 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $37,820 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $37,950 Bend, OR — $38,010 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $38,190 Bellingham, WA — $38,240 Bozeman, MT — $38,260 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $38,390 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $38,420 Modesto, CA — $38,450 Longview-Kelso, WA — $38,460 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $38,470 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $38,480 Salinas, CA — $38,480 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $38,550 El Centro, CA — $38,610 Barnstable Town, MA — $38,660 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $38,730 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $38,780 Vallejo, CA — $38,840 Merced, CA — $38,980 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $39,110 Greeley, CO — $39,150 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $39,400 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $39,470 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $39,660 Boulder, CO — $39,690 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $39,770 Walla Walla, WA — $40,030 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $40,140 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $41,000 Yakima, WA — $41,750 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $42,640 Napa, CA — $42,810 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $43,830 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $45,580 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $46,680 Helena metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Helena metro area has the 134th-highest published median for this occupation among the 393 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Montana Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for food preparation workers, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Helena metro areathis page
$34,960 median for Helena metro area; middle half earns $28,810 to $36,020
$38,260 median for Bozeman metro area; middle half earns $31,820 to $42,300
$35,020 median for Missoula metro area; middle half earns $29,130 to $36,270
$34,590 median for Billings metro area; middle half earns $28,370 to $37,120
$30,490 median for Great Falls metro area; middle half earns $26,210 to $36,010
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .