Food Jobs & Pay in California
About 1,953,510 people in California 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 | 449,840 | $42,280 | $35,530 – $47,950 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 229,970 | $36,080 | $34,320 – $68,950 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 152,250 | $44,880 | $37,100 – $55,580 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 130,190 | $46,980 | $38,630 – $75,180 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 124,440 | $42,050 | $35,750 – $48,750 | $30,890 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 112,750 | $39,350 | $35,190 – $48,470 | $35,320 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 75,460 | $36,010 | $34,320 – $50,630 | $33,980 |
| Dishwashers | 74,160 | $37,870 | $35,160 – $45,640 | $34,810 |
| Bartenders | 71,470 | $36,220 | $34,320 – $75,130 | $34,340 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 41,100 | $36,640 | $34,360 – $46,060 | $31,200 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 32,430 | $39,010 | $35,120 – $57,550 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 31,670 | $64,500 | $37,380 – $101,870 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 31,660 | $46,390 | $37,570 – $59,630 | $37,450 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 30,740 | $42,930 | $35,880 – $47,150 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 30,730 | $36,910 | $34,530 – $53,130 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 3,990 | $42,860 | $37,040 – $50,940 | $37,690 |
| Cooks, Private Household | 110 | — | — | $47,940 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 30,020 | $43,120 | $36,510 – $54,960 | $37,160 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 18,700 | $44,290 | $35,470 – $61,010 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 12,560 | $41,670 | $35,700 – $58,010 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 9,270 | $36,570 | $34,950 – $46,040 | $38,300 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 7,140 | $38,230 | $35,290 – $48,450 | $39,680 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 6,170 | $39,420 | $35,050 – $49,400 | $40,130 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 2,010 | $44,740 | $35,770 – $53,340 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,630 | $45,600 | $35,820 – $62,020 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 172,260 | $35,580 | $34,320 – $44,870 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 7,940 | $38,820 | $35,620 – $54,580 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 5,750 | $36,330 | $34,320 – $42,170 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 3,600 | $38,640 | $34,780 – $55,310 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 2,340 | $53,620 | $38,150 – $93,100 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 960 | $53,090 | $34,580 – $82,540 | $39,850 |
| Animal Breeders | 410 | $59,280 | $47,400 – $94,450 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 8,720 | $98,850 | $72,780 – $130,850 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 3,990 | $54,200 | $40,790 – $76,330 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 2,210 | $93,950 | $60,060 – $140,810 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 33,180 | $78,260 | $47,690 – $127,340 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 1,650 | $109,140 | $73,790 – $174,810 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 40 | $98,770 | $56,400 – $108,770 | $60,220 |
| Farm Labor Contractors | — | $85,710 | $47,110 – $107,880 | $58,460 |
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.