BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA at a median of $37,950 per year ($18.25/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays +7% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 680 food preparation workerss are employed across the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pay distribution spans from $34,770 at the 10th percentile to $48,390 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 $35,400 and the 75th at $45,690, so half of Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater-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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 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 WA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.