BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX at a median of $34,880 per year ($16.77/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays 1% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 9,350 food preparation workerss are employed across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pay distribution spans from $26,940 at the 10th percentile to $43,610 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $27,260 and the 75th at $38,720, so half of Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos-based food preparation workerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide TX data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.