Food Jobs & Pay in Maryland
About 227,120 people in Maryland 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 | 49,380 | $33,660 | $31,200 – $37,390 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 38,120 | $36,750 | $31,200 – $62,210 | $35,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 20,150 | $42,450 | $35,140 – $63,470 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 17,690 | $37,820 | $35,030 – $47,840 | $37,390 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 13,280 | $35,500 | $31,290 – $45,890 | $35,320 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 13,240 | $37,020 | $31,840 – $45,930 | $33,980 |
| Bartenders | 13,020 | $37,580 | $31,200 – $69,730 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 10,960 | $33,320 | $31,200 – $38,210 | $30,890 |
| Dishwashers | 9,310 | $34,030 | $31,200 – $38,040 | $34,810 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 7,390 | $34,860 | $31,200 – $38,180 | $31,200 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 6,600 | $36,650 | $31,840 – $42,930 | $35,360 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3,540 | $37,500 | $31,720 – $48,250 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 3,370 | $41,380 | $35,520 – $49,750 | $37,450 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3,250 | $36,800 | $31,840 – $44,540 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 3,220 | $61,590 | $38,310 – $100,330 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, All Other | 610 | $32,150 | $31,200 – $46,950 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 2,740 | $37,040 | $32,220 – $51,150 | $37,160 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 2,450 | $35,870 | $31,680 – $40,910 | $39,680 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1,500 | $44,130 | $31,200 – $59,030 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,390 | $40,240 | $31,680 – $61,960 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 680 | $32,950 | $31,200 – $45,870 | $38,300 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 200 | $60,170 | $39,340 – $78,750 | $44,810 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 130 | $37,650 | $31,200 – $51,070 | $40,130 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | — | $36,960 | $33,530 – $40,090 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,380 | $38,420 | $33,280 – $49,030 | $35,660 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 430 | $41,740 | $32,960 – $63,970 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 310 | $41,760 | $31,200 – $64,340 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 180 | $39,580 | $38,400 – $50,890 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 180 | $37,680 | $32,890 – $50,950 | $39,850 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 150 | $58,160 | $40,200 – $78,860 | $49,940 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,430 | $77,800 | $61,470 – $100,900 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 280 | $57,880 | $46,320 – $77,520 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 270 | $93,330 | $59,640 – $145,650 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 150 | $79,780 | $50,220 – $124,850 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 140 | $67,600 | $46,610 – $127,860 | $89,900 |
| Food Service Managers | — | $72,850 | $52,240 – $113,560 | $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.