Food Jobs & Pay in Missouri
About 277,980 people in Missouri 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Fast Food | 55,780 | $29,890 | $28,600 – $35,290 | $30,890 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 41,640 | $29,400 | $28,600 – $61,440 | $35,230 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 29,360 | $30,390 | $28,600 – $36,830 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 25,990 | $36,940 | $28,890 – $46,970 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 21,650 | $37,400 | $31,010 – $60,980 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 14,410 | $30,090 | $28,600 – $54,900 | $34,340 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 13,650 | $31,510 | $28,600 – $44,440 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 13,130 | $34,900 | $28,600 – $43,700 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 11,590 | $31,850 | $28,600 – $39,150 | $33,980 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 8,510 | $29,130 | $28,600 – $37,440 | $31,200 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 7,490 | $31,840 | $28,600 – $38,370 | $35,360 |
| Dishwashers | 7,200 | $32,150 | $28,600 – $38,580 | $34,810 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,750 | $64,480 | $39,650 – $91,500 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, All Other | 70 | $43,990 | $33,190 – $59,650 | $37,690 |
| Cooks, Short Order | — | $38,490 | $29,810 – $46,440 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $28,600 | $28,600 – $46,800 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 4,190 | $35,130 | $29,060 – $46,470 | $37,160 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,880 | $41,890 | $34,930 – $47,850 | $38,300 |
| Food Batchmakers | 2,280 | $45,690 | $37,340 – $61,560 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,160 | $37,860 | $29,280 – $55,320 | $40,140 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 1,630 | $44,050 | $37,420 – $57,190 | $39,680 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 1,280 | $44,490 | $34,020 – $49,460 | $40,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,030 | $43,460 | $33,380 – $53,910 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 620 | $42,160 | $28,810 – $57,020 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,600 | $36,280 | $29,160 – $47,980 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,310 | $32,950 | $28,600 – $57,410 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 900 | $46,490 | $38,140 – $74,990 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 530 | $35,800 | $33,990 – $39,050 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 450 | $46,220 | $37,960 – $61,110 | $49,940 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,700 | $65,450 | $43,980 – $85,900 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 390 | $105,930 | $57,400 – $154,540 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 150 | $59,570 | $41,430 – $83,570 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,600 | $65,520 | $51,680 – $98,400 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 60 | $77,650 | $58,950 – $145,490 | $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.