Food Jobs & Pay in Georgia
About 493,770 people in Georgia 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 | 145,030 | $26,920 | $20,910 – $36,110 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 76,470 | $18,700 | $15,080 – $46,860 | $35,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 48,420 | $38,600 | $28,400 – $62,420 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 46,350 | $35,940 | $24,160 – $43,210 | $37,390 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 26,450 | $35,250 | $24,840 – $40,390 | $35,320 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 17,300 | $27,850 | $19,890 – $34,900 | $31,200 |
| Bartenders | 14,600 | $22,830 | $15,840 – $53,310 | $34,340 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 14,540 | $28,920 | $17,720 – $39,080 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 12,940 | $26,940 | $20,800 – $36,810 | $30,890 |
| Dishwashers | 11,300 | $29,730 | $21,220 – $36,590 | $34,810 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 8,220 | $35,090 | $28,220 – $44,540 | $37,450 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 4,970 | $31,530 | $25,850 – $39,610 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3,870 | $26,870 | $21,430 – $41,010 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 3,680 | $66,230 | $43,300 – $100,970 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3,130 | $25,740 | $21,720 – $36,610 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 340 | $42,960 | $27,590 – $42,960 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 11,480 | $39,330 | $30,150 – $45,800 | $38,300 |
| Bakers | 7,350 | $35,010 | $22,550 – $46,380 | $37,160 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 5,650 | $37,810 | $28,300 – $47,960 | $39,680 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 4,420 | $38,540 | $28,790 – $48,190 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 4,290 | $46,490 | $28,680 – $58,960 | $42,290 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 3,660 | $36,770 | $31,690 – $41,470 | $40,130 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 690 | $38,440 | $31,500 – $49,280 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 290 | $37,390 | $30,860 – $55,960 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 1,700 | $35,450 | $25,870 – $42,390 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,610 | $30,300 | $24,880 – $43,930 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 1,390 | $41,460 | $31,050 – $58,160 | $49,940 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 690 | $28,410 | $21,880 – $59,890 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 570 | $35,410 | $28,890 – $46,910 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 50 | $39,310 | $23,200 – $59,440 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 2,020 | $73,200 | $47,250 – $96,430 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 560 | $86,050 | $31,030 – $151,280 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 260 | $53,150 | $33,040 – $80,620 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 9,230 | $65,280 | $39,990 – $97,860 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 200 | $33,510 | $15,080 – $102,860 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 50 | $95,900 | $56,270 – $158,480 | $89,900 |
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.