Food Jobs & Pay in Iowa
About 169,030 people in Iowa 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 | 40,290 | $28,390 | $21,620 – $35,990 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 22,410 | $21,000 | $15,080 – $47,980 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 12,270 | $35,670 | $28,690 – $44,460 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 11,400 | $38,760 | $29,010 – $60,040 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 9,560 | $21,720 | $16,730 – $39,520 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 8,860 | $35,810 | $28,030 – $44,150 | $37,450 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 8,290 | $28,510 | $15,080 – $40,810 | $30,890 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 5,270 | $30,110 | $27,020 – $36,600 | $35,360 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 4,170 | $30,360 | $23,760 – $40,250 | $35,320 |
| Dishwashers | 3,290 | $29,300 | $20,720 – $36,030 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 3,250 | $28,210 | $16,980 – $35,460 | $33,980 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 2,630 | $28,210 | $21,880 – $40,550 | $31,200 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,640 | $47,990 | $36,770 – $74,730 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,160 | $34,090 | $24,960 – $46,650 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 310 | $33,480 | $24,360 – $42,330 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 210 | $26,060 | $24,340 – $43,340 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 5,210 | $41,740 | $40,230 – $43,140 | $39,680 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 4,480 | $37,750 | $30,200 – $46,510 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 4,220 | $43,820 | $33,750 – $46,060 | $40,130 |
| Food Batchmakers | 4,160 | $48,300 | $35,830 – $62,780 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 3,970 | $43,190 | $39,170 – $46,220 | $38,300 |
| Bakers | 2,150 | $37,210 | $22,920 – $49,610 | $37,160 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 850 | $47,900 | $43,410 – $52,020 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 660 | $47,960 | $36,480 – $63,340 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 1,530 | $47,220 | $37,020 – $62,360 | $41,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,240 | $36,480 | $28,950 – $50,540 | $36,670 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 930 | $37,590 | $29,120 – $46,700 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 560 | $49,600 | $45,590 – $78,890 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 170 | $42,450 | $39,240 – $55,740 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | — | $40,130 | $26,220 – $60,540 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 630 | $72,690 | $50,720 – $92,940 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 420 | $50,740 | $40,200 – $66,370 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 380 | $82,010 | $50,230 – $111,310 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,760 | $66,700 | $45,610 – $100,170 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 520 | $48,200 | $43,010 – $82,020 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 180 | $77,930 | $52,200 – $112,600 | $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.