BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA at a median of $36,250 per year ($17.43/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Providence-Warwick pays +3% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 3,870 food preparation workerss are employed across the Providence-Warwick MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Providence-Warwick pay distribution spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $45,220 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 $33,140 and the 75th at $41,390, so half of Providence-Warwick-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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 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 RI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.