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Food Jobs & Pay in North Carolina
About 509,660 people in North Carolina 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 | 92,230 | $28,570 | $21,800 – $36,820 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 81,980 | $27,190 | $21,890 – $34,860 | $30,890 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 71,940 | $32,150 | $17,140 – $62,670 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 50,150 | $35,400 | $27,980 – $45,450 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 39,750 | $45,010 | $29,750 – $64,670 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 24,960 | $30,260 | $21,870 – $38,760 | $35,320 |
| Bartenders | 20,070 | $36,470 | $16,180 – $74,450 | $34,340 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 15,160 | $28,320 | $19,100 – $36,460 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 12,050 | $30,340 | $23,540 – $37,320 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 11,230 | $27,560 | $15,920 – $37,870 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 11,170 | $36,140 | $28,050 – $45,130 | $37,450 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 8,820 | $31,460 | $23,760 – $40,110 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 4,920 | $61,130 | $38,210 – $92,210 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 4,670 | $30,160 | $20,570 – $39,330 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3,170 | $31,290 | $23,350 – $38,210 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 150 | $31,120 | $21,250 – $43,690 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 9,750 | $39,170 | $29,710 – $41,640 | $38,300 |
| Bakers | 9,320 | $34,510 | $19,690 – $45,800 | $37,160 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 6,120 | $39,930 | $31,200 – $49,550 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 4,770 | $37,360 | $28,660 – $45,320 | $39,680 |
| Food Batchmakers | 3,450 | $36,590 | $29,030 – $51,070 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 3,120 | $38,240 | $28,510 – $50,080 | $40,140 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,510 | $35,980 | $27,230 – $77,980 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 770 | $39,070 | $28,770 – $46,430 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,510 | $33,870 | $27,600 – $43,930 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 910 | $38,750 | $29,050 – $54,960 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 550 | $39,580 | $26,110 – $49,240 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 450 | $34,720 | $23,830 – $40,930 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 290 | $47,760 | $34,250 – $68,700 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | — | $43,790 | $28,080 – $90,790 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 2,780 | $67,560 | $48,910 – $88,860 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 230 | $79,840 | $49,850 – $138,460 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 130 | $48,640 | $39,740 – $63,280 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 9,420 | $74,080 | $51,780 – $104,060 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 910 | $64,280 | $51,100 – $83,920 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 250 | $80,540 | $38,150 – $252,100 | $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.