Food Jobs & Pay in Michigan
About 402,140 people in Michigan 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 | 103,130 | $28,930 | $25,960 – $35,970 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 65,090 | $37,760 | $25,960 – $64,350 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 39,100 | $36,980 | $29,570 – $46,030 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 32,890 | $37,940 | $29,500 – $59,750 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 21,100 | $36,780 | $25,960 – $76,090 | $34,340 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 17,380 | $31,180 | $26,540 – $38,620 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 14,340 | $29,460 | $25,960 – $37,240 | $30,890 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 13,500 | $36,870 | $29,800 – $45,540 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 13,050 | $30,390 | $25,960 – $44,180 | $33,980 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 12,620 | $28,950 | $25,960 – $37,270 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 11,510 | $31,300 | $25,960 – $37,930 | $34,810 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 7,700 | $34,260 | $28,730 – $38,180 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 5,360 | $60,070 | $42,170 – $82,000 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 2,560 | $34,510 | $26,750 – $43,180 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 530 | $35,100 | $25,960 – $45,080 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 300 | $37,110 | $29,650 – $46,020 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 7,290 | $35,830 | $28,860 – $47,130 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 5,130 | $40,160 | $31,930 – $62,150 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 4,230 | $39,350 | $29,900 – $50,740 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 2,920 | $45,850 | $37,230 – $53,120 | $40,130 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 920 | $44,430 | $37,940 – $46,630 | $38,300 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 700 | $48,240 | $35,870 – $62,170 | $44,810 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 430 | $38,750 | $35,720 – $43,450 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 380 | $47,260 | $39,980 – $54,440 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 5,410 | $38,680 | $30,550 – $44,080 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 750 | $32,660 | $27,440 – $50,470 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 460 | $42,380 | $30,320 – $49,360 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 320 | $65,730 | $49,460 – $92,600 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 100 | $39,180 | $30,910 – $63,640 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 50 | $28,950 | $25,960 – $44,330 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 2,370 | $66,850 | $48,420 – $84,530 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 430 | $76,940 | $55,620 – $134,910 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 250 | $52,130 | $39,290 – $68,610 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 9,240 | $60,790 | $41,600 – $93,180 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 330 | $65,030 | $47,950 – $104,340 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 270 | $82,620 | $40,140 – $125,550 | $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.