Food Jobs & Pay in Louisiana
About 202,310 people in Louisiana 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 | 45,720 | $22,800 | $18,610 – $33,320 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 33,870 | $15,080 | $15,080 – $38,060 | $35,230 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 30,920 | $23,620 | $17,970 – $34,190 | $35,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 16,680 | $35,800 | $26,230 – $60,340 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 14,910 | $29,050 | $21,970 – $39,540 | $37,390 |
| Bartenders | 10,140 | $20,850 | $15,080 – $41,600 | $34,340 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 6,440 | $22,060 | $16,280 – $31,610 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 5,740 | $25,490 | $19,250 – $36,200 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 4,810 | $26,780 | $16,080 – $39,770 | $33,980 |
| Dishwashers | 4,210 | $26,440 | $19,820 – $33,280 | $34,810 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3,670 | $21,820 | $17,400 – $36,530 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 3,000 | $24,960 | $20,890 – $29,640 | $30,890 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 2,380 | $27,200 | $18,580 – $32,540 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,990 | $45,570 | $32,320 – $86,750 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,990 | $26,260 | $19,690 – $40,530 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 430 | $28,930 | $23,950 – $39,880 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 2,950 | $31,230 | $23,410 – $43,990 | $39,680 |
| Bakers | 2,450 | $28,020 | $21,930 – $40,780 | $37,160 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,240 | $36,790 | $25,120 – $48,240 | $40,140 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 1,690 | $27,850 | $21,570 – $38,120 | $38,300 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 650 | $40,120 | $23,890 – $45,160 | $40,130 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 550 | $44,440 | $18,680 – $61,360 | $41,590 |
| Food Batchmakers | 530 | $34,620 | $27,630 – $43,530 | $42,290 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 80 | $38,440 | $26,920 – $47,530 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 570 | $33,260 | $22,860 – $43,680 | $35,660 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 280 | $36,090 | $26,050 – $52,830 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 270 | $58,520 | $32,190 – $64,510 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 150 | $63,130 | $49,940 – $83,780 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 140 | $38,160 | $25,850 – $64,890 | $39,850 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 80 | $31,940 | $20,800 – $61,500 | $36,670 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 800 | $70,460 | $49,230 – $91,560 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 30 | $44,310 | $35,280 – $63,230 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,950 | $61,400 | $40,140 – $103,660 | $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.