Food Jobs & Pay in Ohio
About 542,150 people in Ohio 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 | 163,560 | $28,430 | $23,200 – $34,920 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 77,250 | $36,700 | $23,820 – $63,740 | $35,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 51,990 | $37,340 | $29,750 – $58,660 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 46,910 | $35,540 | $27,590 – $44,940 | $37,390 |
| Bartenders | 27,420 | $30,880 | $22,990 – $72,190 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 23,440 | $36,720 | $29,530 – $46,010 | $37,450 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 19,480 | $34,530 | $26,640 – $44,500 | $35,320 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 15,480 | $27,550 | $22,870 – $37,320 | $31,200 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 15,320 | $30,440 | $26,450 – $38,310 | $35,360 |
| Dishwashers | 14,380 | $29,520 | $23,150 – $36,670 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 13,670 | $29,400 | $22,900 – $39,070 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 12,310 | $26,870 | $22,500 – $35,570 | $30,890 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 6,000 | $29,290 | $22,260 – $38,620 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 4,000 | $53,990 | $38,370 – $89,960 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 3,260 | $27,540 | $22,790 – $35,790 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 180 | $35,360 | $31,200 – $45,630 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 8,890 | $34,560 | $24,160 – $46,320 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 7,040 | $44,590 | $31,510 – $59,860 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 5,640 | $37,630 | $26,940 – $50,090 | $40,140 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 3,540 | $37,020 | $35,350 – $45,410 | $38,300 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 2,440 | $36,800 | $30,350 – $45,520 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 1,640 | $39,470 | $35,880 – $45,470 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 980 | $41,160 | $33,740 – $55,430 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 910 | $44,190 | $33,280 – $47,090 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,990 | $37,470 | $26,740 – $54,100 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,160 | $31,200 | $24,410 – $51,270 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 600 | $47,220 | $37,340 – $59,640 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 210 | $69,280 | $51,810 – $79,440 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 100 | $38,500 | $22,260 – $47,020 | $35,730 |
| Animal Breeders | 80 | $68,980 | $43,110 – $140,850 | $51,130 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 50 | $43,540 | $26,880 – $79,180 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 3,060 | $69,530 | $36,970 – $91,820 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 270 | $76,780 | $46,870 – $121,830 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 230 | $57,060 | $41,000 – $86,300 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 8,570 | $62,980 | $43,680 – $95,670 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 100 | $65,990 | $39,520 – $92,760 | $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.