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Food Jobs & Pay in South Carolina
About 247,490 people in South 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 | 65,070 | $27,520 | $22,340 – $35,020 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 47,200 | $18,370 | $15,080 – $46,820 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 25,890 | $35,740 | $26,200 – $45,680 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 20,120 | $38,520 | $28,120 – $63,080 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 14,460 | $32,180 | $22,990 – $40,370 | $35,320 |
| Bartenders | 10,680 | $19,370 | $15,080 – $59,430 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 9,110 | $27,420 | $21,690 – $37,140 | $30,890 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 7,990 | $27,000 | $17,740 – $37,230 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 7,850 | $34,960 | $21,890 – $42,680 | $37,450 |
| Dishwashers | 7,550 | $29,160 | $22,290 – $36,150 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 6,220 | $26,830 | $17,100 – $36,780 | $33,980 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 2,990 | $31,740 | $19,100 – $37,480 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 2,650 | $71,860 | $47,640 – $88,880 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 900 | $29,640 | $22,670 – $34,480 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 850 | $22,230 | $17,600 – $34,110 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 2,940 | $35,460 | $25,340 – $45,330 | $37,160 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,750 | $34,790 | $34,090 – $39,390 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,380 | $39,790 | $31,150 – $47,980 | $40,140 |
| Food Batchmakers | 700 | $37,070 | $28,910 – $52,200 | $42,290 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 520 | $38,220 | $36,520 – $46,370 | $41,590 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 510 | $37,060 | $34,430 – $42,470 | $39,680 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 250 | $46,000 | $33,740 – $47,260 | $40,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 140 | $40,000 | $33,810 – $50,220 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 680 | $35,110 | $27,350 – $49,060 | $35,660 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 380 | $34,490 | $29,370 – $46,180 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 230 | $34,510 | $30,310 – $40,330 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 190 | $35,090 | $16,310 – $78,560 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 90 | $49,940 | $37,110 – $67,200 | $49,940 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 950 | $69,970 | $40,630 – $95,020 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 90 | $108,660 | $41,140 – $163,900 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 40 | $39,480 | $36,270 – $60,040 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 5,080 | $66,190 | $47,130 – $103,680 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 40 | — | — | $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.