Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for food preparation and serving related occupationss 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 $37,150 ≈ $18/hr
National median salary $35,050
Total employment 13,680,750 nationwide
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$49,980
- Hawaii$49,360
- Washington$48,390
- New York$45,600
- Vermont$44,820
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$26,730
- Mississippi$27,230
- Oklahoma$28,900
- Alabama$29,280
- Arkansas$29,850
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $49,980 | $44,390 | $24 | +34.5% | 56,970 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $49,360 | $39,480 | $24 | +32.9% | 82,670 |
| 3 | Washington | $48,390 | $44,590 | $23 | +30.3% | 294,700 |
| 4 | New York | $45,600 | $37,850 | $22 | +22.7% | 729,100 |
| 5 | Vermont | $44,820 | $38,210 | $22 | +20.6% | 26,300 |
| 6 | California | $43,930 | $40,250 | $21 | +18.3% | 1,622,960 |
| 7 | Colorado | $43,540 | $37,810 | $21 | +17.2% | 269,820 |
| 8 | Maine | $42,950 | $37,040 | $21 | +15.6% | 55,140 |
| 9 | Oregon | $42,620 | $37,670 | $20 | +14.7% | 182,760 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $42,450 | $36,480 | $20 | +14.3% | 316,810 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $42,350 | $36,610 | $20 | +14% | 139,020 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $42,210 | $37,300 | $20 | +13.6% | 292,980 |
| 13 | Arizona | $41,780 | $36,190 | $20 | +12.5% | 281,710 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $39,980 | $34,960 | $19 | +7.6% | 52,230 |
| 15 | Maryland | $39,600 | $36,050 | $19 | +6.6% | 213,130 |
| 16 | Delaware | $39,220 | $35,720 | $19 | +5.6% | 45,960 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $39,090 | $36,490 | $19 | +5.2% | 57,550 |
| 18 | Virginia | $38,540 | $35,110 | $19 | +3.7% | 339,730 |
| 19 | Alaska | $37,990 | $35,600 | $18 | +2.3% | 27,600 |
| 20 | Florida | $37,700 | $34,610 | $18 | +1.5% | 1,010,690 |
| 21 | Nevada | $37,500 | $34,020 | $18 | +0.9% | 204,340 |
| 22 | Illinois | $37,150 | $34,260 | $18 | +0% | 494,610 |
| 23 | Michigan | $36,820 | $33,570 | $18 | -0.9% | 360,300 |
| 24 | Missouri | $35,590 | $31,080 | $17 | -4.2% | 255,150 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $35,390 | $30,630 | $17 | -4.7% | 82,180 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $35,170 | $31,860 | $17 | -5.3% | 90,900 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $35,150 | $33,860 | $17 | -5.4% | 242,430 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $35,050 | $34,040 | $17 | -5.7% | 35,690 |
| 29 | Ohio | $34,620 | $30,300 | $17 | -6.8% | 494,660 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $34,380 | $30,770 | $17 | -7.5% | 489,850 |
| 31 | Utah | $34,240 | $30,890 | $16 | -7.8% | 136,090 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $33,640 | $29,820 | $16 | -9.4% | 452,410 |
| 33 | Montana | $33,550 | $30,580 | $16 | -9.7% | 53,110 |
| 34 | Idaho | $33,050 | $30,180 | $16 | -11% | 73,910 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $32,830 | $30,160 | $16 | -11.6% | 248,100 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $32,670 | $29,490 | $16 | -12.1% | 25,760 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $32,610 | $30,060 | $16 | -12.2% | 45,220 |
| 38 | Kansas | $32,490 | $29,270 | $16 | -12.5% | 123,860 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $32,070 | $29,310 | $15 | -13.7% | 301,640 |
| 40 | Indiana | $31,920 | $29,460 | $15 | -14.1% | 274,710 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $31,290 | $28,620 | $15 | -15.8% | 175,720 |
| 42 | Iowa | $30,970 | $29,620 | $15 | -16.6% | 135,030 |
| 43 | Texas | $30,960 | $28,600 | $15 | -16.7% | 1,299,230 |
| 44 | Georgia | $30,910 | $28,810 | $15 | -16.8% | 437,650 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $30,700 | $28,640 | $15 | -17.4% | 229,540 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $30,570 | $27,680 | $15 | -17.7% | 60,770 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $29,850 | $27,600 | $14 | -19.7% | 111,930 |
| 48 | Alabama | $29,280 | $27,780 | $14 | -21.2% | 184,640 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $28,900 | $27,110 | $14 | -22.2% | 167,030 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $27,230 | $24,280 | $13 | -26.7% | 109,560 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $26,730 | $23,400 | $13 | -28% | 186,890 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,150 | $61,120 | 12,570 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $46,480 | $50,770 | 167,040 |
| 3 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $45,120 | $50,980 | 15,710 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,870 | $48,930 | 82,810 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,040 | $47,660 | 195,610 |
| 6 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $43,620 | $47,040 | 4,930 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $43,590 | $44,370 | 13,520 |
| 8 | Bellingham, WA | $43,290 | $47,090 | 8,900 |
| 9 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $43,290 | $47,420 | 9,210 |
| 10 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $42,920 | $46,040 | 5,500 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do food preparation and serving related occupations make in the U.S.?
The median food preparation and serving related occupations salary in the United States is $35,050 per year (mean $37,150), and about 80% earn between $23,120 and $51,340.
How much do food preparation and serving related occupations make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $37,150 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays food preparation and serving related occupations the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for food preparation and serving related occupations at $49,980 per year (median $44,390).