SalariesWhat the occupation covers
All food preparation and serving related workers not listed separately.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-9099.
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 | $25,470 | $2,122 | $490 | $12.25 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $31,200 | $2,600 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $35,840 | $2,987 | $689 | $17.23 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $39,880 | $3,323 | $767 | $19.17 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $47,550 | $3,962 | $914 | $22.86 |
* 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 Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other is $35,840, which is 30% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 8 by median pay. With 84,630 jobs, it makes up about 5.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other pay by state
The highest median pay was in Nebraska ($46,170), Hawaii ($43,540) and Oregon ($39,080). The lowest was in Guam ($21,600), West Virginia ($21,640) and Louisiana ($21,820). The most jobs were in California (30,730), North Carolina (4,670) and Texas (4,030). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 7.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | not published | $46,170 | $47,320 | $22.20 |
| Hawaii | 410 | $43,540 | $52,740 | $20.93 |
| Oregon | 600 | $39,080 | $42,740 | $18.79 |
| Illinois | 2,720 | $38,880 | $40,720 | $18.69 |
| District of Columbia | 40 | $38,580 | $45,100 | $18.55 |
| New Hampshire | 370 | $38,210 | $38,430 | $18.37 |
| Indiana | not published | $38,160 | $33,090 | $18.35 |
| Arizona | 1,060 | $37,600 | $40,340 | $18.08 |
| Maryland | 3,540 | $37,500 | $38,760 | $18.03 |
| Utah | 290 | $37,180 | $38,550 | $17.87 |
| California | 30,730 | $36,910 | $41,370 | $17.75 |
| Tennessee | 2,670 | $36,640 | $34,450 | $17.61 |
| Connecticut | 1,060 | $36,320 | $38,500 | $17.46 |
| New Jersey | 3,780 | $36,290 | $38,600 | $17.45 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $36,250 | $35,680 | $17.43 |
| Virginia | 1,390 | $35,870 | $36,130 | $17.25 |
| Colorado | 2,970 | $35,710 | $37,870 | $17.17 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $35,300 | $36,210 | $16.97 |
| Michigan | 530 | $35,100 | $36,120 | $16.88 |
| Washington | not published | $34,650 | $36,630 | $16.66 |
| New York | 380 | $34,340 | $41,440 | $16.51 |
| Florida | 3,900 | $34,200 | $35,030 | $16.44 |
| Delaware | not published | $33,840 | $33,710 | $16.27 |
| Iowa | 310 | $33,480 | $33,520 | $16.10 |
| Pennsylvania | 730 | $33,040 | $33,380 | $15.89 |
| Vermont | 120 | $32,420 | $34,820 | $15.59 |
| Wyoming | 80 | $31,840 | $34,070 | $15.31 |
| Arkansas | 430 | $31,660 | $36,740 | $15.22 |
| Nevada | 1,140 | $31,510 | $37,440 | $15.15 |
| Wisconsin | 490 | $31,240 | $31,390 | $15.02 |
| Oklahoma | 140 | $31,200 | $31,790 | $15.00 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $31,200 | $45,130 | $15.00 |
| Mississippi | 810 | $30,600 | $30,530 | $14.71 |
| Texas | 4,030 | $30,210 | $32,030 | $14.52 |
| North Carolina | 4,670 | $30,160 | $31,450 | $14.50 |
| Montana | 470 | $29,720 | $31,500 | $14.29 |
| Missouri | not published | $28,600 | $34,690 | $13.75 |
| Ohio | 3,260 | $27,540 | $28,770 | $13.24 |
| Virgin Islands | 60 | $27,300 | $33,120 | $13.13 |
| Georgia | 3,130 | $25,740 | $27,610 | $12.38 |
| North Dakota | not published | $23,410 | $28,740 | $11.25 |
| Alabama | not published | $22,990 | $25,270 | $11.05 |
| Puerto Rico | 100 | $22,620 | $23,940 | $10.88 |
| South Carolina | 850 | $22,230 | $25,100 | $10.69 |
| Louisiana | 3,670 | $21,820 | $25,560 | $10.49 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $21,640 | $30,790 | $10.40 |
| Guam | 270 | $21,600 | $21,780 | $10.39 |
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
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$37,450 a year
- Cooks, Restaurant$37,390 a year
- Cooks, Short Order$35,880 a year
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$35,360 a year
- Food Preparation Workers$35,320 a year
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,230 a year
Common questions
How much do Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other earn in the United States?
The median pay was $35,840 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $25,470 and the highest-paid 10% more than $47,550.
How many people work as Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other?
About 84,630 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.