Food Jobs & Pay in Nebraska
About 115,550 people in Nebraska 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 | 30,060 | $29,000 | $28,080 – $35,760 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 13,310 | $33,770 | $28,080 – $59,420 | $35,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 7,840 | $39,230 | $31,840 – $55,610 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 7,320 | $30,180 | $28,080 – $60,140 | $34,340 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 6,890 | $35,210 | $28,740 – $42,560 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 4,750 | $37,030 | $28,680 – $44,880 | $37,390 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 4,410 | $36,390 | $29,890 – $45,380 | $37,450 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 3,800 | $31,540 | $28,790 – $38,510 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 2,900 | $30,430 | $28,080 – $36,910 | $30,890 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 2,830 | $28,450 | $28,080 – $38,750 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 2,170 | $29,740 | $28,080 – $37,120 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 2,160 | $30,690 | $28,080 – $39,900 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,810 | $30,530 | $28,080 – $41,430 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 540 | $60,510 | $39,650 – $99,990 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $46,170 | $33,170 – $61,720 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 8,340 | $47,580 | $40,850 – $55,230 | $38,300 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 5,480 | $48,910 | $40,590 – $55,310 | $40,130 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1,380 | $37,630 | $28,600 – $49,840 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 1,270 | $41,210 | $31,840 – $54,720 | $42,290 |
| Bakers | 1,030 | $35,280 | $28,970 – $47,930 | $37,160 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 670 | $45,420 | $34,910 – $57,390 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 440 | $43,410 | $37,770 – $58,330 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 1,090 | $46,670 | $37,900 – $61,300 | $41,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 570 | $37,220 | $37,210 – $48,040 | $36,670 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 440 | $39,530 | $28,950 – $60,700 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 370 | $55,090 | $40,880 – $64,940 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 330 | $45,560 | $34,780 – $62,930 | $35,730 |
| Animal Breeders | 40 | $40,220 | $39,530 – $43,210 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 570 | $70,160 | $57,340 – $89,550 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 230 | $72,230 | $50,710 – $129,740 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 170 | $48,530 | $44,840 – $59,670 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 2,050 | $60,450 | $46,690 – $92,450 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 200 | $111,460 | $71,630 – $144,780 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 90 | $60,670 | $36,860 – $106,640 | $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.