Food Jobs & Pay in Texas
About 1,411,030 people in Texas 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 | 460,530 | $27,740 | $21,710 – $35,680 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 199,610 | $23,240 | $17,070 – $47,590 | $35,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 137,930 | $36,480 | $28,010 – $61,560 | $44,080 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 126,620 | $34,760 | $23,330 – $42,810 | $37,390 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 81,280 | $30,650 | $22,790 – $42,450 | $35,320 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 60,270 | $21,550 | $15,710 – $35,540 | $33,980 |
| Bartenders | 59,000 | $22,690 | $16,200 – $65,300 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 36,240 | $28,280 | $20,800 – $39,140 | $30,890 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 35,550 | $27,080 | $17,270 – $36,870 | $31,200 |
| Dishwashers | 33,630 | $29,610 | $21,920 – $36,720 | $34,810 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 24,740 | $35,360 | $24,770 – $44,840 | $37,450 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 14,340 | $29,300 | $21,930 – $36,930 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 13,270 | $56,080 | $31,380 – $92,290 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 7,540 | $25,320 | $21,850 – $36,320 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 4,650 | $32,150 | $25,600 – $41,570 | $37,690 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 4,030 | $30,210 | $20,800 – $44,730 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 16,710 | $33,790 | $24,430 – $44,020 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 13,250 | $37,500 | $22,410 – $53,100 | $42,290 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 11,260 | $37,400 | $23,760 – $55,160 | $40,140 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 8,590 | $35,890 | $23,230 – $45,230 | $38,300 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 6,780 | $40,150 | $30,750 – $46,610 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 3,180 | $33,980 | $25,480 – $45,460 | $41,590 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 2,950 | $43,160 | $27,270 – $49,910 | $40,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,800 | $37,140 | $26,840 – $49,360 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 4,290 | $32,840 | $24,530 – $44,020 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 3,750 | $33,920 | $24,110 – $50,480 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 2,200 | $34,260 | $24,550 – $44,720 | $41,730 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 1,950 | $36,090 | $29,280 – $42,910 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 590 | $49,940 | $40,330 – $83,150 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 310 | $39,570 | $27,130 – $63,120 | $39,850 |
| Animal Breeders | 60 | $48,410 | $32,970 – $73,260 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 5,320 | $74,440 | $40,040 – $98,960 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 900 | $47,760 | $37,040 – $76,130 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 840 | $90,610 | $46,810 – $136,100 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 25,990 | $60,770 | $43,310 – $98,570 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 610 | $85,990 | $43,240 – $129,560 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 470 | $33,260 | $20,680 – $60,510 | $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.