Food Processing Workers, All Other Salary in Hickory, NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Median annual salary $37,920 -1.3% vs national
Median hourly $18.23
10th percentile $29,200
90th percentile $40,540
Employed locally 70
National median $38,420

Compare Food Processing Workers, All Other salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Hickory, NC stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Food Processing Workers, All Other
in
Hickory, NC
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $29,200
    25th
    $34,500
    50th (median)
    $37,920
    75th
    $37,920
    90th
    $40,540

    Hickory economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $60,255 2023 • Census ACS
    Food Processing Workers, All Other salary vs area income 63% Median Food Processing Workers, All Other salary is 37% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Food Processing Workers, All Other

    Metro areaMedian salary
    North Missouri nonmetropolitan area $57,190
    Rochester, MN $51,960
    Hanford-Corcoran, CA $51,910
    Dubuque, IA $51,750
    Longview-Kelso, WA $50,500
    Chattanooga, TN-GA $50,130

    Nearby metros — Food Processing Workers, All Other salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Lancaster, PA $46,280
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $41,570
    North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) $41,070
    Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $39,480
    Burlington, NC $38,440
    Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $37,810

    Related occupations in Hickory, NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $38,670
    Upholsterers $59,400
    Sewing Machine Operators $46,360
    First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $63,280
    Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $41,340
    Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $52,150

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Food Processing Workers, All Other make per hour in Hickory?

    The median hourly wage for Food Processing Workers, All Other in Hickory, NC is $18.23, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.11 or more per hour.

    Is Hickory above or below average for Food Processing Workers, All Other salaries?

    The median Food Processing Workers, All Other salary in Hickory, NC is 1.3% below the national median of $38,420. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Food Processing Workers, All Other in Hickory?

    Entry-level Food Processing Workers, All Other (10th percentile) earn around $29,200 per year in Hickory, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $34,500.