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Food Jobs & Pay
The food you eat is grown, processed, cooked and served by roughly 15 million workers. Here is what those jobs pay, nationally and in every state — from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Food occupations nationwide
Restaurants & service
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 3,854,050 | $31,200 | $22,840 – $42,650 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,270,910 | $35,230 | $18,100 – $64,720 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,409,890 | $37,390 | $28,700 – $47,900 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,223,240 | $44,080 | $29,940 – $65,570 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 893,600 | $35,320 | $25,810 – $45,340 |
| Bartenders | 756,390 | $34,340 | $20,110 – $73,770 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 641,070 | $30,890 | $22,580 – $42,910 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 542,750 | $33,980 | $21,300 – $46,570 |
| Dishwashers | 477,450 | $34,810 | $26,200 – $42,860 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 441,050 | $37,450 | $28,480 – $49,670 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 432,690 | $31,200 | $22,340 – $43,990 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 293,900 | $35,360 | $28,030 – $46,120 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 200,040 | $62,470 | $37,900 – $98,560 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 138,650 | $35,880 | $23,440 – $46,460 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 84,630 | $35,840 | $25,470 – $47,550 |
| Cooks, All Other | 19,350 | $37,690 | $27,040 – $51,140 |
| Cooks, Private Household | 1,100 | $47,940 | $36,090 – $91,130 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 236,200 | $37,160 | $28,120 – $49,020 |
| Food Batchmakers | 174,520 | $42,290 | $31,990 – $58,940 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 145,700 | $38,300 | $29,980 – $48,150 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 136,430 | $40,140 | $29,460 – $58,110 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 69,950 | $40,130 | $33,340 – $51,090 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 65,000 | $39,680 | $32,210 – $47,950 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 31,250 | $41,590 | $31,680 – $54,410 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 20,370 | $44,810 | $33,250 – $62,680 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 265,500 | $35,660 | $32,900 – $45,690 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 32,810 | $36,670 | $27,360 – $54,080 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 28,500 | $41,730 | $33,500 – $58,650 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 25,180 | $35,730 | $29,580 – $44,490 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 14,410 | $49,940 | $37,020 – $79,580 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 3,620 | $39,850 | $27,760 – $76,940 |
| Animal Breeders | 1,330 | $51,130 | $38,480 – $90,550 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 77,570 | $76,400 | $49,090 – $103,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 14,600 | $52,130 | $39,820 – $78,820 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 13,060 | $88,720 | $52,920 – $145,280 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 238,430 | $69,390 | $45,960 – $107,640 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 8,220 | $60,220 | $37,650 – $85,060 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 6,500 | $89,900 | $54,320 – $160,020 |
| Farm Labor Contractors | 310 | $58,460 | $30,930 – $84,050 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Figures are the most recent annual estimate. "Median pay" is the annual wage at the middle of the distribution; half earn more, half less. Employment counts are for wage-and-salary workers and exclude the self-employed. This is labour-market data, not job listings.