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Food Jobs & Pay in Massachusetts
About 315,300 people in Massachusetts 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 | 85,810 | $35,850 | $31,290 – $38,700 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 54,670 | $38,460 | $31,790 – $62,200 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 29,570 | $45,600 | $36,540 – $58,590 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 23,220 | $46,600 | $37,380 – $76,630 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 19,850 | $37,440 | $31,890 – $70,870 | $34,340 |
| Dishwashers | 14,100 | $37,190 | $34,030 – $46,000 | $34,810 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 13,620 | $38,900 | $34,280 – $48,420 | $35,320 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 13,540 | $34,960 | $31,200 – $41,740 | $31,200 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 11,510 | $35,380 | $31,200 – $50,760 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 7,430 | $47,790 | $39,250 – $58,090 | $37,450 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 6,000 | $69,540 | $47,460 – $99,270 | $62,470 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 5,830 | $36,750 | $33,990 – $47,630 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 4,760 | $44,290 | $32,550 – $53,780 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | — | $37,870 | $35,590 – $48,140 | $30,890 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $35,300 | $31,730 – $40,050 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | — | $69,570 | $63,530 – $69,600 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 6,070 | $38,130 | $35,080 – $47,750 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 5,100 | $36,880 | $31,200 – $49,360 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,350 | $36,570 | $33,330 – $46,400 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1,480 | $48,430 | $38,370 – $62,120 | $40,140 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 210 | $43,200 | $37,300 – $52,440 | $39,680 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 190 | $45,400 | $41,360 – $54,390 | $44,810 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 170 | $37,780 | $34,730 – $49,920 | $40,130 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 170 | $47,960 | $37,760 – $56,530 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,340 | $38,220 | $34,950 – $50,430 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 270 | $38,280 | $35,000 – $56,260 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 70 | $46,510 | $38,890 – $89,960 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 40 | $49,150 | $36,430 – $60,290 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 40 | $41,770 | $31,200 – $45,500 | $35,730 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 2,860 | $76,660 | $63,310 – $107,150 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 420 | $103,580 | $68,990 – $183,260 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 260 | $56,850 | $44,900 – $73,300 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 4,310 | $92,240 | $58,290 – $129,990 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 40 | $66,920 | $63,040 – $86,040 | $60,220 |
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.