First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $46,180 ≈ $22/hr
National median salary $44,080
Total employment 1,223,240 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +6% Faster than average
Annual openings 183,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,215,000 → 1,288,000 (+73,000)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Washington$61,990
  2. District of Columbia$57,770
  3. Connecticut$55,720
  4. Hawaii$54,400
  5. Rhode Island$53,800

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. West Virginia$35,830
  2. Arkansas$36,730
  3. Oklahoma$38,000
  4. Mississippi$39,180
  5. Kentucky$39,320
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Washington $61,990 $59,400 $30 +34.2% 20,700
2 District of Columbia $57,770 $57,170 $28 +25.1% 2,830
3 Connecticut $55,720 $52,940 $27 +20.7% 10,770
4 Hawaii $54,400 $48,880 $26 +17.8% 7,330
5 Rhode Island $53,800 $48,400 $26 +16.5% 3,320
6 Colorado $53,710 $50,550 $26 +16.3% 25,510
7 New Hampshire $52,910 $49,710 $25 +14.6% 3,840
8 California $52,810 $46,980 $25 +14.4% 130,190
9 Massachusetts $52,600 $46,600 $25 +13.9% 23,220
10 New Jersey $52,400 $48,420 $25 +13.5% 27,750
11 Vermont $52,200 $49,820 $25 +13% 1,970
12 Delaware $52,160 $48,120 $25 +12.9% 4,030
13 Maine $50,620 $47,990 $24 +9.6% 3,740
14 New York $50,590 $47,190 $24 +9.5% 65,580
15 Oregon $50,370 $46,950 $24 +9.1% 16,880

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $61,610 $64,620 12,090
2 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA $58,740 $61,030 610
3 Bellingham, WA $58,520 $59,780 600
4 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $58,260 $57,990 2,720
5 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $57,870 $59,540 340
6 Walla Walla, WA $57,470 $58,110 140
7 Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area $56,800 $58,630 700
8 Kahului-Wailuku, HI $56,600 $61,480 970
9 Kennewick-Richland, WA $56,260 $59,060 710
10 Western Washington nonmetropolitan area $55,950 $58,320 930

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) $94,910 $97,080 410
2 Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) $94,910 $97,080 410
3 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services $81,420 $70,150 40
4 Engineering Services $81,420 $70,150 40
5 Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned $75,840 $66,940 260
6 Sporting Goods Retailers $64,420 $63,710 110
7 Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned $64,010 $63,840 450
8 Animal Slaughtering and Processing $63,790 $61,950 130
9 Automobile Dealers $62,870 $63,330 30
10 Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers $62,700 $62,500 130
11 Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers $62,590 $62,020 140
12 Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers $62,590 $62,020 140

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
134,369
$10-20k
83,675
$20-30k
115,416
$30-40k
101,059
$40-50k
55,568
$50-60k
29,754
$60-70k
18,546
$70-80k
11,708
$80-90k
6,813
$90-100k
1,916
$100-110k
1,591
$110-120k
1,132
$120-130k
994
$130-140k
1,057
$140-150k
569
$150-160k
248
$160-170k
744
$170-180k
295
$180-190k
197
$190-200k
63
$200k+
1,585

Pay by age band

16-24
$19,639
25-34
$31,163
35-44
$34,105
45-54
$34,931
55-64
$32,133
65+
$19,732

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$27,153
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$27,770
Bachelors Degree
$36,014
Some college, but less than 1 year
$27,687
Associates Degree
$30,947
GED or alternative credential
$24,074
Grade 11
$21,650
12th grade - no diploma
$25,138
Grade 10
$17,507
No schooling completed
$39,148
Masters Degree
$42,073
Grade 9
$22,991
Grade 8
$23,692
Grade 6
$36,544
Grade 7
$15,484
Professional degree
$39,511
Grade 3
$40,472
Grade 5
$36,219
Doctorate degree
$61,592
Grade 4
$45,990
Kindergarten
$7,534
Grade 2
$40,781
Nursery school, preschool
$24,978

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
331,815 · $39,560
Part-time
128,826 · $19,641

Race / ethnicity

White
$28,792
Two or More Races
$29,329
Black
$25,605
Other
$29,646
Asian
$30,655
American Indian
$29,866
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$29,181
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$24,695
Alaska Native
$23,245

Top fields of study

Business Management And Administration
$37,659
Psychology
$35,214
General Business
$33,245
English Language And Literature
$44,409
Hospitality Management
$50,779
Accounting
$37,523
Biology
$37,629
Communications
$26,980

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Management of Personnel Resources
4.0
Speaking
3.9
Monitoring
3.9
Coordination
3.9
Instructing
3.8
Active Listening
3.8
Service Orientation
3.6
Reading Comprehension
3.3
Critical Thinking
3.1
Social Perceptiveness
3.1
Time Management
3.1
Learning Strategies
3.1

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make in the U.S.?

The median first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary in the United States is $44,080 per year (mean $46,180), and about 80% earn between $29,940 and $65,570.

How much do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make per hour?

Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,180 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers the most?

Washington has the highest average pay for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers at $61,990 per year (median $59,400).

What is the job outlook for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?

Employment is projected to change +6% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 183,900 openings per year.