Food Jobs & Pay in Washington
About 337,740 people in Washington 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 | 94,710 | $37,710 | $35,050 – $47,860 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 45,400 | $56,130 | $36,710 – $94,930 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 35,140 | $46,800 | $37,940 – $57,910 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 20,700 | $59,400 | $44,110 – $81,820 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 19,510 | $40,910 | $34,890 – $51,730 | $35,320 |
| Bartenders | 16,800 | $55,830 | $39,380 – $90,130 | $34,340 |
| Dishwashers | 12,630 | $40,080 | $35,570 – $49,360 | $34,810 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 9,780 | $49,670 | $39,820 – $62,840 | $37,450 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 9,530 | $37,270 | $34,650 – $59,430 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 9,020 | $39,120 | $35,330 – $44,860 | $30,890 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 8,050 | $38,870 | $35,050 – $50,910 | $35,360 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 6,160 | $41,420 | $34,890 – $60,300 | $33,980 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 5,320 | $76,010 | $49,920 – $95,990 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,700 | $42,760 | $34,650 – $55,660 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 140 | $52,510 | $43,740 – $61,380 | $37,690 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | — | $34,650 | $34,650 – $45,240 | $35,840 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 6,270 | $46,140 | $36,390 – $60,670 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 5,700 | $42,710 | $36,920 – $58,780 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 3,630 | $43,010 | $36,600 – $52,470 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,660 | $51,670 | $37,560 – $63,440 | $40,140 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 920 | $43,980 | $41,700 – $48,880 | $39,680 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 840 | $45,100 | $40,610 – $55,740 | $40,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 720 | $50,590 | $37,500 – $73,290 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 310 | $51,100 | $41,060 – $60,660 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 13,490 | $39,170 | $35,080 – $44,720 | $35,660 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 2,830 | $34,950 | $34,650 – $39,360 | $35,730 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,100 | $45,370 | $35,590 – $64,430 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 550 | $38,470 | $36,610 – $59,270 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 450 | $62,880 | $46,740 – $80,640 | $49,940 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | — | $43,930 | $35,210 – $89,510 | $39,850 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,450 | $84,220 | $62,100 – $108,010 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 660 | $62,070 | $45,930 – $79,850 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 250 | $94,990 | $56,520 – $162,740 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 1,180 | $95,190 | $68,240 – $138,210 | $69,390 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 140 | $103,240 | $66,900 – $165,720 | $89,900 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | — | $63,440 | $54,630 – $79,960 | $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.