Food Jobs & Pay in Idaho
About 87,740 people in Idaho 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 | 25,810 | $28,940 | $20,130 – $36,330 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 10,950 | $30,050 | $16,770 – $62,220 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 8,130 | $36,440 | $25,470 – $47,020 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 7,440 | $38,190 | $27,790 – $60,900 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 4,670 | $31,510 | $22,150 – $40,260 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 3,650 | $35,600 | $28,330 – $45,550 | $37,450 |
| Bartenders | 3,430 | $27,240 | $16,850 – $61,060 | $34,340 |
| Dishwashers | 2,730 | $29,920 | $19,100 – $42,860 | $34,810 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 2,360 | $27,280 | $18,400 – $35,770 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 1,610 | $31,070 | $18,620 – $35,860 | $30,890 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 1,520 | $27,810 | $16,770 – $37,430 | $33,980 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 930 | $34,220 | $27,980 – $39,210 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 550 | $52,000 | $33,590 – $83,240 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 120 | $40,090 | $23,130 – $61,190 | $35,880 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 2,230 | $34,060 | $21,100 – $46,110 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,700 | $49,570 | $32,980 – $61,230 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1,480 | $38,030 | $29,570 – $50,370 | $40,140 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 790 | $45,120 | $36,630 – $75,380 | $41,590 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 450 | $40,370 | $37,720 – $47,680 | $40,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 430 | $48,250 | $37,910 – $55,860 | $44,810 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 280 | $39,200 | $31,200 – $44,530 | $38,300 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 130 | $46,820 | $38,130 – $55,660 | $39,680 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,420 | $34,470 | $30,630 – $44,600 | $35,660 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 600 | $27,680 | $23,710 – $45,590 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 490 | $38,920 | $30,320 – $46,850 | $41,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 480 | $40,580 | $24,670 – $52,960 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 280 | $48,650 | $34,990 – $64,770 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 40 | $38,790 | $33,930 – $47,050 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Science Technicians | 560 | $48,980 | $37,980 – $65,580 | $52,130 |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 420 | $71,610 | $47,870 – $87,780 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 140 | $77,440 | $41,600 – $117,340 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 670 | $70,140 | $43,110 – $105,160 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 250 | $81,010 | $68,120 – $130,160 | $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.