BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI at a median of $33,060 per year ($15.90/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays 6% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 8,250 food preparation workerss are employed across the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pay distribution spans from $27,560 at the 10th percentile to $39,870 at the 90th — a 1.4× 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 $29,710 and the 75th at $36,690, so half of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn-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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 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 MI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.