Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for food preparation and serving related workers, all others across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$52,740
- Nebraska$47,320
- Rhode Island$45,130
- District of Columbia$45,100
- Oregon$42,740
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Carolina$25,100
- Alabama$25,270
- Louisiana$25,560
- Georgia$27,610
- North Dakota$28,740
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $52,740 | $43,540 | $25 | +43.3% | 410 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $47,320 | $46,170 | $23 | +28.6% | — |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $45,130 | $31,200 | $22 | +22.6% | — |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $45,100 | $38,580 | $22 | +22.5% | 40 |
| 5 | Oregon | $42,740 | $39,080 | $21 | +16.1% | 600 |
| 6 | New York | $41,440 | $34,340 | $20 | +12.6% | 380 |
| 7 | California | $41,370 | $36,910 | $20 | +12.4% | 30,730 |
| 8 | Illinois | $40,720 | $38,880 | $20 | +10.6% | 2,720 |
| 9 | Arizona | $40,340 | $37,600 | $19 | +9.6% | 1,060 |
| 10 | Maryland | $38,760 | $37,500 | $19 | +5.3% | 3,540 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $38,600 | $36,290 | $19 | +4.9% | 3,780 |
| 12 | Utah | $38,550 | $37,180 | $19 | +4.7% | 290 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $38,500 | $36,320 | $19 | +4.6% | 1,060 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $38,430 | $38,210 | $18 | +4.4% | 370 |
| 15 | Colorado | $37,870 | $35,710 | $18 | +2.9% | 2,970 |
| 16 | Nevada | $37,440 | $31,510 | $18 | +1.7% | 1,140 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $36,740 | $31,660 | $18 | -0.2% | 430 |
| 18 | Washington | $36,630 | $34,650 | $18 | -0.5% | — |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $36,210 | $35,300 | $17 | -1.6% | — |
| 20 | Virginia | $36,130 | $35,870 | $17 | -1.8% | 1,390 |
| 21 | Michigan | $36,120 | $35,100 | $17 | -1.9% | 530 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $35,680 | $36,250 | $17 | -3.1% | 130 |
| 23 | Florida | $35,030 | $34,200 | $17 | -4.8% | 3,900 |
| 24 | Vermont | $34,820 | $32,420 | $17 | -5.4% | 120 |
| 25 | Missouri | $34,690 | $28,600 | $17 | -5.8% | — |
| 26 | Tennessee | $34,450 | $36,640 | $17 | -6.4% | 2,670 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $34,070 | $31,840 | $16 | -7.4% | 80 |
| 28 | Delaware | $33,710 | $33,840 | $16 | -8.4% | — |
| 29 | Iowa | $33,520 | $33,480 | $16 | -8.9% | 310 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $33,380 | $33,040 | $16 | -9.3% | 730 |
| 31 | Indiana | $33,090 | $38,160 | $16 | -10.1% | — |
| 32 | Texas | $32,030 | $30,210 | $15 | -13% | 4,030 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $31,790 | $31,200 | $15 | -13.6% | 140 |
| 34 | Montana | $31,500 | $29,720 | $15 | -14.4% | 470 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $31,450 | $30,160 | $15 | -14.6% | 4,670 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $31,390 | $31,240 | $15 | -14.7% | 490 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $30,790 | $21,640 | $15 | -16.4% | 70 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $30,530 | $30,600 | $15 | -17.1% | 810 |
| 39 | Ohio | $28,770 | $27,540 | $14 | -21.8% | 3,260 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $28,740 | $23,410 | $14 | -21.9% | — |
| 41 | Georgia | $27,610 | $25,740 | $13 | -25% | 3,130 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $25,560 | $21,820 | $12 | -30.6% | 3,670 |
| 43 | Alabama | $25,270 | $22,990 | $12 | -31.4% | — |
| 44 | South Carolina | $25,100 | $22,230 | $12 | -31.8% | 850 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 215 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $64,150 | $67,060 | — |
| 2 | Salem, OR | $49,900 | $52,400 | 40 |
| 3 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,400 | $56,540 | 40 |
| 4 | Omaha, NE-IA | $48,070 | $46,250 | — |
| 5 | Bend, OR | $45,810 | $45,520 | 30 |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,720 | $45,320 | 1,430 |
| 7 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $43,350 | $43,860 | 360 |
| 8 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $43,330 | $39,030 | 110 |
| 9 | Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $42,860 | $39,720 | 30 |
| 10 | Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $42,680 | $40,270 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing food preparation and serving related workers, all others (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $64,330 | $73,120 | 40 |
| 2 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $64,330 | $73,120 | 40 |
| 3 | Religious Organizations | $48,280 | $45,410 | — |
| 4 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $43,900 | $44,200 | 580 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $43,900 | $44,580 | 550 |
| 6 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $43,900 | $45,120 | 490 |
| 7 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | $42,450 | $42,630 | — |
| 8 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $40,720 | $40,900 | 610 |
| 9 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $40,710 | $41,300 | 1,000 |
| 10 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $40,380 | $42,800 | 1,030 |
| 11 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $40,380 | $42,920 | 1,000 |
| 12 | Hospitals | $39,880 | $41,920 | 1,520 |
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
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do food preparation and serving related workers, all other make in the U.S.?
The median food preparation and serving related workers, all other salary in the United States is $35,840 per year (mean $36,810), and about 80% earn between $25,470 and $47,550.
How much do food preparation and serving related workers, all other make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $36,810 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays food preparation and serving related workers, all other the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for food preparation and serving related workers, all other at $52,740 per year (median $43,540).
What is the job outlook for food preparation and serving related workers, all other?
Employment is projected to change +6.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 14,600 openings per year.