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Food Jobs & Pay in District of Columbia
About 59,650 people in District of Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waiters and Waitresses | 11,530 | $47,850 | $36,400 – $100,240 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 7,720 | $46,130 | $36,440 – $53,020 | $37,390 |
| Bartenders | 5,760 | $53,920 | $36,400 – $95,560 | $34,340 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,500 | $37,430 | $37,260 – $46,800 | $31,200 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 4,130 | $39,080 | $36,400 – $58,830 | $33,980 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 3,970 | $39,600 | $37,510 – $45,370 | $35,320 |
| Dishwashers | 3,580 | $38,670 | $37,710 – $44,190 | $34,810 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 2,830 | $57,170 | $40,360 – $77,630 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,760 | $44,670 | $36,480 – $51,260 | $30,890 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 2,450 | $37,570 | $36,740 – $47,090 | $31,200 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 2,020 | $76,420 | $56,570 – $104,660 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,910 | $42,450 | $39,650 – $47,060 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 1,500 | $45,450 | $38,740 – $55,680 | $37,450 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 1,260 | $37,920 | $36,400 – $54,650 | $35,360 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 40 | $38,580 | $36,400 – $64,330 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 1,270 | $44,040 | $38,720 – $51,430 | $37,160 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 150 | $48,760 | $38,140 – $63,360 | $40,140 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 270 | $82,150 | $50,010 – $111,530 | $76,400 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,000 | $81,680 | $74,000 – $134,630 | $69,390 |
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.