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Food Jobs & Pay in Pennsylvania
About 543,320 people in Pennsylvania 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 | 142,220 | $28,570 | $22,030 – $35,880 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 82,300 | $34,690 | $18,400 – $61,780 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 54,100 | $36,580 | $22,650 – $45,120 | $37,390 |
| Bartenders | 37,490 | $28,420 | $17,460 – $62,830 | $34,340 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 35,560 | $43,050 | $29,530 – $61,780 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 24,490 | $36,540 | $28,390 – $46,380 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 20,800 | $29,310 | $17,890 – $38,580 | $33,980 |
| Dishwashers | 19,570 | $29,950 | $21,550 – $37,110 | $34,810 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 18,020 | $29,170 | $20,800 – $41,380 | $31,200 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 17,940 | $30,840 | $22,360 – $39,600 | $35,320 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 13,940 | $33,300 | $27,450 – $42,980 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 9,240 | $28,810 | $22,610 – $42,380 | $30,890 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 9,170 | $63,860 | $39,040 – $95,830 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3,510 | $19,910 | $17,150 – $40,460 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 730 | $33,040 | $23,590 – $42,860 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 660 | $36,220 | $27,210 – $50,850 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 10,380 | $36,360 | $25,430 – $50,470 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 8,160 | $39,920 | $31,370 – $59,310 | $42,290 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 4,410 | $37,330 | $30,130 – $45,970 | $40,130 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 3,540 | $38,340 | $29,000 – $58,130 | $40,140 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 1,600 | $36,480 | $31,800 – $43,550 | $38,300 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,580 | $42,710 | $34,960 – $51,520 | $41,590 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 1,350 | $41,620 | $34,010 – $62,650 | $39,680 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 540 | $49,660 | $33,500 – $61,290 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,940 | $37,010 | $24,960 – $51,680 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,330 | $35,360 | $21,700 – $47,900 | $36,670 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 970 | $38,430 | $35,760 – $44,590 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 520 | $55,650 | $45,620 – $80,480 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 390 | $47,100 | $33,780 – $60,590 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | — | $33,570 | $32,190 – $36,500 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 4,270 | $67,410 | $43,370 – $92,150 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 590 | $48,060 | $37,590 – $62,200 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 400 | $83,380 | $54,460 – $120,730 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 10,530 | $64,750 | $43,900 – $94,660 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 80 | $76,040 | $49,310 – $116,920 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | — | $45,970 | $34,110 – $56,880 | $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.