2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Los Angeles vs. Miami

Food Preparation Workers. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 35-2021
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
30k40k LOS ANGELES $39,770 MIAMI $36,090
Table 1 — Adjusted

Los Angeles's median is 9.3% higher — but after local prices, Los Angeles still leads by 9.7%.

Los Angeles's median $39,770 buys $35,000 at national prices (price parity 113.6); Miami's $36,090 buys $31,600 (114.2).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Miami against Los Angeles.

Los AngelesMiamiΔ
Employment44,93019,630−56.3%
10th percentile$36,000$28,880−19.8%
25th percentile$37,500$29,890−20.3%
Median$39,770$36,090−9.3%
75th percentile$44,170$37,300−15.6%
90th percentile$46,810$44,160−5.7%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Food Preparation Workers in Los Angeles · Food Preparation Workers in Miami

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.