SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products. Excludes “Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders” (51-3091).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-3093.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $31,680 | $2,640 | $609 | $15.23 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,190 | $3,016 | $696 | $17.40 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $41,590 | $3,466 | $800 | $20.00 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $47,380 | $3,948 | $911 | $22.78 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $54,410 | $4,534 | $1,046 | $26.16 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is $41,590, which is 18% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 83 by median pay. With 31,250 jobs, it makes up about 2.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($51,100), Utah ($48,620) and Massachusetts ($47,960). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($25,480), Alabama ($27,080) and Mississippi ($31,150). The most jobs were in Texas (3,180), Illinois (2,460) and California (2,010). The occupation is most concentrated in Idaho, where its share of all jobs is 4.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 310 | $51,100 | $51,220 | $24.57 |
| Utah | 390 | $48,620 | $44,290 | $23.37 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | $47,960 | $46,640 | $23.06 |
| Iowa | 850 | $47,900 | $48,370 | $23.03 |
| Michigan | 380 | $47,260 | $48,070 | $22.72 |
| Minnesota | 1,410 | $47,250 | $47,980 | $22.72 |
| Colorado | 300 | $46,900 | $48,680 | $22.55 |
| Kansas | 750 | $45,850 | $44,300 | $22.04 |
| New York | 1,300 | $45,680 | $47,150 | $21.96 |
| Tennessee | 1,820 | $45,620 | $46,920 | $21.93 |
| Nebraska | 670 | $45,420 | $45,030 | $21.84 |
| Idaho | 790 | $45,120 | $50,040 | $21.69 |
| California | 2,010 | $44,740 | $45,060 | $21.51 |
| Oregon | 570 | $44,530 | $44,390 | $21.41 |
| Louisiana | 550 | $44,440 | $43,530 | $21.37 |
| Arizona | 560 | $44,050 | $42,190 | $21.18 |
| Indiana | 540 | $43,350 | $44,770 | $20.84 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,580 | $42,710 | $42,850 | $20.54 |
| Illinois | 2,460 | $42,670 | $42,590 | $20.51 |
| Missouri | 620 | $42,160 | $44,440 | $20.27 |
| Kentucky | 300 | $41,800 | $43,720 | $20.09 |
| Ohio | 980 | $41,160 | $43,180 | $19.79 |
| Arkansas | 330 | $40,480 | $42,180 | $19.46 |
| New Hampshire | 110 | $40,440 | $40,140 | $19.44 |
| Wisconsin | 850 | $40,000 | $44,400 | $19.23 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $39,270 | $39,480 | $18.88 |
| North Carolina | 770 | $39,070 | $38,110 | $18.79 |
| Connecticut | 60 | $38,880 | $42,160 | $18.69 |
| Georgia | 690 | $38,440 | $39,670 | $18.48 |
| South Carolina | 520 | $38,220 | $39,050 | $18.37 |
| Maine | 170 | $37,500 | $42,170 | $18.03 |
| New Jersey | 430 | $37,180 | $37,880 | $17.88 |
| Maryland | not published | $36,960 | $37,900 | $17.77 |
| Nevada | not published | $36,610 | $36,790 | $17.60 |
| Florida | 970 | $36,450 | $38,140 | $17.53 |
| Oklahoma | 1,140 | $36,030 | $39,240 | $17.32 |
| Virginia | 510 | $35,140 | $37,650 | $16.90 |
| Texas | 3,180 | $33,980 | $34,570 | $16.34 |
| Delaware | not published | $31,240 | $35,620 | $15.02 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $31,150 | $31,660 | $14.98 |
| Alabama | 250 | $27,080 | $31,310 | $13.02 |
| Puerto Rico | 220 | $25,480 | $26,150 | $12.25 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers$42,290 a year
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers$41,640 a year
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 a year
- Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders$41,330 a year
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610 a year
- Butchers and Meat Cutters$40,140 a year
Common questions
How much do Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earn in the United States?
The median pay was $41,590 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,680 and the highest-paid 10% more than $54,410.
How many people work as Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders?
About 31,250 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.