Food Jobs & Pay in Wisconsin
About 293,630 people in Wisconsin 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 | 67,750 | $28,600 | $22,240 – $36,090 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 36,220 | $29,670 | $16,830 – $61,770 | $35,230 |
| Bartenders | 29,520 | $23,460 | $17,200 – $39,040 | $34,340 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 25,410 | $36,550 | $28,010 – $46,270 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 21,240 | $39,670 | $30,310 – $60,650 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 17,990 | $34,070 | $26,080 – $44,290 | $35,320 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 9,890 | $38,650 | $32,110 – $47,380 | $37,450 |
| Dishwashers | 8,190 | $29,070 | $20,190 – $37,830 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 7,220 | $27,080 | $16,800 – $38,440 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 6,900 | $28,920 | $22,550 – $34,920 | $30,890 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 6,680 | $34,670 | $28,640 – $44,080 | $35,360 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 6,430 | $28,060 | $17,830 – $37,440 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 2,270 | $28,130 | $22,550 – $39,080 | $35,880 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 1,860 | $61,300 | $41,990 – $87,570 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 490 | $31,240 | $25,400 – $38,940 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 50 | $33,760 | $30,540 – $47,900 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Batchmakers | 18,040 | $48,360 | $36,990 – $58,880 | $42,290 |
| Bakers | 4,930 | $37,310 | $29,640 – $48,030 | $37,160 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 3,510 | $45,980 | $33,170 – $56,210 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 2,620 | $37,510 | $30,130 – $53,210 | $40,130 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,040 | $43,300 | $35,890 – $48,490 | $38,300 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 850 | $40,000 | $35,000 – $60,400 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 540 | $48,560 | $38,120 – $60,740 | $44,810 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 340 | $40,590 | $36,800 – $57,780 | $39,680 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,490 | $35,360 | $28,640 – $49,200 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 930 | $32,970 | $23,320 – $50,550 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 830 | $47,100 | $36,430 – $61,010 | $41,730 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 220 | $53,640 | $42,900 – $68,160 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 110 | $33,250 | $23,170 – $46,730 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Workers, All Other | 50 | $37,720 | $31,200 – $52,950 | $39,850 |
| Animal Breeders | 40 | $51,130 | $42,900 – $59,170 | $51,130 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,330 | $74,930 | $58,040 – $91,520 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 540 | $55,690 | $40,600 – $73,030 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 410 | $83,020 | $57,410 – $131,840 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 6,000 | $61,810 | $40,900 – $99,850 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 670 | $60,920 | $46,850 – $75,630 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 30 | $86,320 | $76,850 – $127,410 | $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.