Food Processing Workers, All Other Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for food processing 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
- North Dakota$47,330
- Idaho$47,070
- Colorado$45,810
- Washington$45,050
- Vermont$44,710
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$33,720
- New Mexico$33,790
- Rhode Island$34,360
- Nevada$35,600
- Maryland$36,040
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $47,330 | $45,120 | $23 | +17.4% | 50 |
| 2 | Idaho | $47,070 | $46,820 | $23 | +16.8% | 130 |
| 3 | Colorado | $45,810 | $46,930 | $22 | +13.7% | 610 |
| 4 | Washington | $45,050 | $43,980 | $22 | +11.8% | 920 |
| 5 | Vermont | $44,710 | $43,300 | $22 | +10.9% | 120 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $44,470 | $45,410 | $21 | +10.3% | 80 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $44,320 | $43,200 | $21 | +10% | 210 |
| 8 | Illinois | $44,230 | $45,340 | $21 | +9.8% | 2,760 |
| 9 | New York | $44,180 | $42,920 | $21 | +9.6% | 400 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $44,010 | $41,620 | $21 | +9.2% | 1,350 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $44,010 | $40,590 | $21 | +9.2% | 340 |
| 12 | Arizona | $43,950 | $45,330 | $21 | +9.1% | 600 |
| 13 | Missouri | $43,860 | $44,050 | $21 | +8.8% | 1,630 |
| 14 | Florida | $43,670 | $41,390 | $21 | +8.4% | 1,050 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $43,640 | $42,740 | $21 | +8.3% | 30 |
| 16 | Kansas | $43,570 | $46,060 | $21 | +8.1% | 560 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $43,320 | $41,800 | $21 | +7.5% | 2,000 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $42,440 | $42,690 | $20 | +5.3% | 1,910 |
| 19 | Montana | $41,900 | $37,740 | $20 | +4% | 140 |
| 20 | Iowa | $41,820 | $41,740 | $20 | +3.8% | 5,210 |
| 21 | Indiana | $41,080 | $41,250 | $20 | +1.9% | 910 |
| 22 | Oregon | $40,810 | $38,170 | $20 | +1.3% | 760 |
| 23 | California | $40,760 | $38,230 | $20 | +1.1% | 7,140 |
| 24 | Ohio | $40,580 | $39,470 | $20 | +0.7% | 1,640 |
| 25 | Utah | $39,920 | $41,400 | $19 | -0.9% | 620 |
| 26 | Texas | $39,690 | $40,150 | $19 | -1.5% | 6,780 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $39,570 | $37,450 | $19 | -1.8% | 690 |
| 28 | Delaware | $39,550 | $39,470 | $19 | -1.9% | 510 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $39,380 | $37,840 | $19 | -2.3% | 1,770 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $39,160 | $38,530 | $19 | -2.8% | 360 |
| 31 | Michigan | $39,150 | $38,750 | $19 | -2.9% | 430 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $38,740 | $37,450 | $19 | -3.9% | — |
| 33 | Maine | $38,620 | $38,270 | $19 | -4.2% | 110 |
| 34 | Virginia | $38,120 | $37,810 | $18 | -5.4% | 1,190 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $38,080 | $37,360 | $18 | -5.5% | 4,770 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $37,990 | $34,670 | $18 | -5.7% | 940 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $37,990 | $37,750 | $18 | -5.7% | 100 |
| 38 | Alabama | $37,790 | $37,510 | $18 | -6.2% | 460 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $37,790 | $37,060 | $18 | -6.2% | 510 |
| 40 | Georgia | $37,740 | $37,810 | $18 | -6.4% | 5,650 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $37,740 | $38,150 | $18 | -6.4% | 590 |
| 42 | Maryland | $36,040 | $35,870 | $17 | -10.6% | 2,450 |
| 43 | Nevada | $35,600 | $30,120 | $17 | -11.7% | 590 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $34,360 | $34,770 | $17 | -14.7% | 160 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $33,790 | $34,560 | $16 | -16.2% | 230 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $33,720 | $31,230 | $16 | -16.3% | 2,950 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 218 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, MN | $62,330 | $58,260 | 60 |
| 2 | North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $57,190 | $50,830 | 290 |
| 3 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $55,650 | $51,360 | 50 |
| 4 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $53,420 | $52,050 | 120 |
| 5 | Lancaster, PA | $51,490 | $52,090 | 190 |
| 6 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $50,500 | $47,810 | 50 |
| 7 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $50,310 | $50,620 | 90 |
| 8 | Boulder, CO | $48,850 | $46,210 | 60 |
| 9 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $48,600 | $44,720 | 470 |
| 10 | North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $48,560 | $45,710 | — |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing food processing workers, all others (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | $50,960 | $51,490 | 1,090 |
| 2 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $49,770 | $49,620 | 210 |
| 3 | Beverage Manufacturing | $49,770 | $49,620 | 210 |
| 4 | Warehousing and Storage | $49,040 | $52,340 | 420 |
| 5 | Warehousing and Storage | $49,040 | $52,340 | 420 |
| 6 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $49,040 | $52,340 | 420 |
| 7 | Animal Food Manufacturing | $46,990 | $45,420 | 580 |
| 8 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $44,340 | $43,930 | 3,900 |
| 9 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | $44,230 | $48,990 | 190 |
| 10 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $42,120 | $43,350 | — |
| 11 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $41,970 | $42,010 | 3,850 |
| 12 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $40,320 | $40,180 | 28,140 |
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
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do food processing workers, all other make in the U.S.?
The median food processing workers, all other salary in the United States is $39,680 per year (mean $40,300), and about 80% earn between $32,210 and $47,950.
How much do food processing workers, all other make per hour?
Roughly $19 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $40,300 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays food processing workers, all other the most?
North Dakota has the highest average pay for food processing workers, all other at $47,330 per year (median $45,120).
What is the job outlook for food processing workers, all other?
Employment is projected to change +5.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 6,500 openings per year.