Food Jobs & Pay in Alabama
About 206,360 people in Alabama work in food-related jobs. Median pay by occupation, with the national median in the last column.
Restaurants & service
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 41,460 | $23,700 | $21,080 – $32,740 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 28,760 | $26,840 | $16,550 – $36,090 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 26,740 | $27,870 | $22,640 – $34,170 | $30,890 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 19,180 | $37,110 | $28,600 – $59,500 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 17,680 | $27,930 | $20,820 – $37,580 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 16,260 | $32,180 | $24,170 – $39,220 | $37,390 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 8,780 | $27,120 | $20,040 – $37,960 | $37,450 |
| Bartenders | 6,560 | $27,980 | $17,260 – $55,500 | $34,340 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 5,400 | $26,130 | $21,230 – $34,400 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 3,540 | $28,930 | $21,810 – $35,840 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 3,420 | $22,470 | $16,650 – $34,320 | $33,980 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 2,920 | $29,000 | $23,080 – $35,770 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,000 | $62,400 | $39,940 – $85,990 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | — | $22,330 | $20,500 – $31,220 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $22,990 | $16,990 – $37,450 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 9,140 | $31,080 | $22,130 – $39,330 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,350 | $36,500 | $26,430 – $47,960 | $40,140 |
| Bakers | 1,880 | $34,030 | $20,940 – $44,600 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,280 | $36,980 | $29,110 – $49,740 | $42,290 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 460 | $37,510 | $35,140 – $41,860 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 250 | $27,080 | $23,000 – $45,200 | $41,590 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 240 | $36,360 | $27,600 – $45,080 | $40,130 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,300 | $36,620 | $22,190 – $53,040 | $36,670 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 840 | $35,390 | $30,330 – $36,580 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 740 | $33,870 | $27,520 – $41,090 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 370 | $33,910 | $27,360 – $44,930 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 290 | $39,300 | $31,450 – $67,340 | $49,940 |
| Animal Breeders | 60 | $53,200 | $25,190 – $64,600 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 780 | $66,190 | $50,970 – $87,450 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 60 | $97,480 | $58,510 – $122,790 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 30 | $40,940 | $38,530 – $62,060 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 4,330 | $63,010 | $45,770 – $97,450 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 260 | $58,330 | $43,810 – $94,740 | $60,220 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, most recent annual estimate. Some occupations are suppressed in smaller states and are omitted. Median pay is the middle of the wage distribution; employment counts exclude the self-employed. Labour-market data, not job listings.