Food Preparation Workers in the Athens-Clarke County Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA at a median of $31,190 per year ($15.00/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $35,320, the metro estimate is 12% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 510 food preparation workers are employed across the Athens-Clarke County MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Athens-Clarke County pay distribution spans from $22,460 at the 10th percentile to $36,940 at the 90th, a 1.6× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $27,780 and the 75th at $35,550, so half of Athens-Clarke County-based food preparation workers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Athens-Clarke County, GA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide GA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.