Food Batchmakers Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for food batchmakerss 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 $43,750 ≈ $21/hr
National median salary $42,290
Total employment 174,520 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +6.9% Faster than average
Annual openings 24,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 173,500 → 185,400 (+11,900)
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. Iowa$50,620
  2. Vermont$49,570
  3. Illinois$48,720
  4. Idaho$48,230
  5. Wisconsin$48,040

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Louisiana$34,570
  2. West Virginia$36,920
  3. Florida$37,790
  4. Texas$37,930
  5. Alabama$38,070
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Iowa $50,620 $48,300 $24 +15.7% 4,160
2 Vermont $49,570 $50,180 $24 +13.3% 1,000
3 Illinois $48,720 $48,130 $23 +11.4% 12,320
4 Idaho $48,230 $49,570 $23 +10.2% 1,700
5 Wisconsin $48,040 $48,360 $23 +9.8% 18,040
6 Missouri $47,650 $45,690 $23 +8.9% 2,280
7 Kentucky $46,740 $46,900 $22 +6.8% 4,570
8 Colorado $46,090 $44,900 $22 +5.3% 3,880
9 Kansas $45,780 $42,850 $22 +4.6% 3,230
10 Georgia $44,780 $46,490 $22 +2.4% 4,290
11 Washington $44,750 $42,710 $22 +2.3% 5,700
12 Ohio $44,450 $44,590 $21 +1.6% 7,040
13 Minnesota $44,380 $42,940 $21 +1.4% 7,660
14 Maryland $44,320 $40,240 $21 +1.3% 1,390
15 Nebraska $44,010 $41,210 $21 +0.6% 1,270

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 330 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Cedar Rapids, IA $77,920 $64,370 480
2 Battle Creek, MI $75,370 $60,740 270
3 Harrisonburg, VA $66,330 $53,950 200
4 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $60,680 $50,270 150
5 Binghamton, NY $60,670 $50,470 80
6 Decatur, IL $57,880 $57,270 490
7 Williamsport, PA $57,630 $55,390 100
8 Lexington-Fayette, KY $56,730 $57,970 490
9 Topeka, KS $56,390 $54,860 770
10 Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area $55,730 $53,820

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing food batchmakerss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) $56,510 $52,530
2 Grain and Oilseed Milling $54,550 $55,860 3,970
3 Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing $52,000 $52,920 2,950
4 Beverage Manufacturing $52,000 $52,920 2,950
5 Chemical Manufacturing $51,480 $49,050 280
6 Educational Services $49,260 $51,740 130
7 Sector 61 - Educational Services $49,260 $51,740 130
8 Educational Services, Local Government Owned $49,250 $51,340 110
9 Elementary and Secondary Schools $49,250 $51,260 110
10 Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned $49,250 $51,340 110
11 Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $49,250 $51,780 120
12 Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $49,250 $51,340 110

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
35,346
$10-20k
15,426
$20-30k
17,248
$30-40k
20,117
$40-50k
12,249
$50-60k
5,478
$60-70k
3,486
$70-80k
1,070
$80-90k
885
$90-100k
214
$100-110k
120
$140-150k
99
$150-160k
80
$190-200k
147
$200k+
103

Pay by age band

16-24
$15,597
25-34
$25,243
35-44
$33,412
45-54
$34,165
55-64
$25,068
65+
$14,372

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$27,740
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$17,513
Bachelors Degree
$26,193
Some college, but less than 1 year
$19,667
Associates Degree
$23,299
GED or alternative credential
$27,538
12th grade - no diploma
$22,852
No schooling completed
$31,429
Grade 11
$9,391
Grade 9
$17,106
Grade 8
$31,840
Grade 6
$38,420
Grade 10
$22,424
Masters Degree
$21,624
Professional degree
$26,339
Grade 5
$42,075
Grade 7
$25,485
Kindergarten
$27,159
Grade 4
$30,586
Grade 3
$23,145

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
60,705 · $37,680
Part-time
25,084 · $13,922

Race / ethnicity

White
$22,974
Two or More Races
$25,526
Other
$27,612
Black
$29,736
Asian
$21,740
American Indian
$29,094
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$23,200
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$61,171

Top fields of study

Psychology
$30,632
History
$34,712
Film Video And Photographic Arts
$18,275
Commercial Art And Graphic Design
$17,094
Nursing
$24,081
Business Management And Administration
$35,105
General Business
$14,163
General Education
$14,607

Top Skills

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

Operations Monitoring
3.3
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Critical Thinking
3.1
Active Listening
3.0
Speaking
3.0
Coordination
3.0
Operation and Control
3.0
Monitoring
2.9
Writing
2.9
Complex Problem Solving
2.9
Judgment and Decision Making
2.9
Social Perceptiveness
2.8

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do food batchmakers make in the U.S.?

The median food batchmakers salary in the United States is $42,290 per year (mean $43,750), and about 80% earn between $31,990 and $58,940.

How much do food batchmakers make per hour?

Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $43,750 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays food batchmakers the most?

Iowa has the highest average pay for food batchmakers at $50,620 per year (median $48,300).

What is the job outlook for food batchmakers?

Employment is projected to change +6.9% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 24,200 openings per year.