Food Jobs & Pay in New Jersey
About 349,440 people in New Jersey 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 | 93,730 | $34,150 | $32,220 – $39,130 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 55,800 | $44,960 | $32,220 – $78,510 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 28,800 | $38,460 | $32,220 – $50,010 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 27,750 | $48,420 | $35,960 – $77,810 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 24,730 | $35,540 | $32,220 – $46,070 | $35,320 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 16,490 | $34,170 | $32,220 – $45,630 | $33,980 |
| Bartenders | 16,260 | $44,020 | $32,220 – $80,480 | $34,340 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 11,400 | $36,390 | $32,220 – $43,800 | $35,360 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 9,420 | $34,050 | $32,220 – $43,160 | $31,200 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 9,100 | $74,280 | $49,200 – $100,100 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 7,490 | $44,520 | $35,500 – $53,060 | $37,450 |
| Dishwashers | 7,450 | $35,900 | $32,220 – $42,860 | $34,810 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3,780 | $36,290 | $32,220 – $47,730 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 3,440 | $32,220 | $32,220 – $41,860 | $30,890 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 850 | $40,720 | $33,540 – $51,440 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 280 | $46,080 | $34,700 – $60,610 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 8,110 | $36,960 | $32,220 – $55,280 | $37,160 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 4,610 | $38,540 | $32,220 – $65,940 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 3,640 | $38,250 | $32,350 – $56,440 | $42,290 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 1,050 | $45,230 | $35,560 – $57,580 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 940 | $34,670 | $32,220 – $48,300 | $39,680 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 630 | $37,140 | $34,880 – $45,560 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 430 | $37,180 | $32,220 – $45,170 | $41,590 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | — | $34,930 | $32,220 – $51,110 | $38,300 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,430 | $37,710 | $33,520 – $49,330 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 250 | $38,960 | $34,320 – $54,810 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 70 | $41,660 | $35,790 – $51,420 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 60 | $41,520 | $35,630 – $79,210 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | — | $37,880 | $33,330 – $38,910 | $35,730 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 2,870 | $84,450 | $62,670 – $114,400 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 630 | $104,340 | $64,330 – $167,470 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 590 | $56,730 | $38,920 – $77,450 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 6,360 | $78,020 | $55,240 – $122,510 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | — | $86,380 | $73,440 – $165,770 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | — | $57,810 | $36,930 – $58,740 | $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.