Food Jobs & Pay in Indiana
About 301,310 people in Indiana 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 | 97,290 | $28,790 | $22,110 – $35,820 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 43,620 | $28,480 | $17,640 – $48,350 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 26,960 | $35,170 | $26,000 – $44,190 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 23,500 | $44,880 | $31,010 – $63,340 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 16,200 | $29,700 | $23,170 – $39,050 | $35,320 |
| Bartenders | 12,880 | $22,770 | $17,050 – $45,000 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 11,130 | $35,980 | $29,280 – $44,760 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 10,220 | $28,320 | $20,610 – $37,280 | $33,980 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 9,730 | $26,920 | $19,290 – $37,060 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 7,000 | $29,480 | $21,840 – $36,660 | $34,810 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 6,830 | $29,870 | $24,050 – $37,310 | $30,890 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 3,900 | $31,840 | $26,360 – $38,350 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 2,940 | $21,940 | $20,760 – $36,260 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,940 | $52,190 | $30,930 – $82,430 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, All Other | 30 | $44,290 | $38,750 – $54,810 | $37,690 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $38,160 | $19,390 – $40,040 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Batchmakers | 5,570 | $39,700 | $30,250 – $58,490 | $42,290 |
| Bakers | 3,600 | $36,150 | $22,880 – $47,360 | $37,160 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,640 | $42,450 | $36,680 – $45,000 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1,850 | $42,440 | $31,510 – $56,770 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 1,210 | $43,770 | $36,430 – $48,300 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 910 | $41,250 | $37,880 – $44,470 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 540 | $43,350 | $38,820 – $51,730 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 260 | $43,370 | $36,080 – $61,090 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 910 | $36,980 | $27,220 – $52,140 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 810 | $46,280 | $39,100 – $57,940 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 480 | $48,560 | $34,110 – $74,740 | $49,940 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 420 | $37,530 | $27,520 – $45,380 | $36,670 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,670 | $66,450 | $43,050 – $84,320 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 530 | $44,630 | $40,410 – $68,550 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 300 | $69,350 | $44,180 – $108,410 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 4,990 | $71,430 | $43,580 – $100,480 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 360 | $65,740 | $52,010 – $81,560 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 90 | $83,100 | $49,700 – $154,080 | $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.