SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-2021.
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 | $25,810 | $2,151 | $496 | $12.41 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $29,950 | $2,496 | $576 | $14.40 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $35,320 | $2,943 | $679 | $16.98 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $38,550 | $3,212 | $741 | $18.53 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $45,340 | $3,778 | $872 | $21.80 |
* 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 Workers is $35,320, which is 31% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 10 by median pay. With 893,600 jobs, it makes up about 57 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Food Preparation Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($40,910), District of Columbia ($39,600) and California ($39,350). The lowest was in Guam ($21,820), Puerto Rico ($22,400) and Louisiana ($23,620). The most jobs were in California (112,750), Texas (81,280) and Florida (73,100). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 2.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 19,510 | $40,910 | $42,660 | $19.67 |
| District of Columbia | 3,970 | $39,600 | $41,350 | $19.04 |
| California | 112,750 | $39,350 | $41,480 | $18.92 |
| Colorado | 12,080 | $38,960 | $40,210 | $18.73 |
| Massachusetts | 13,620 | $38,900 | $41,030 | $18.70 |
| Hawaii | 5,950 | $38,160 | $41,670 | $18.35 |
| Oregon | 11,860 | $37,450 | $39,510 | $18.00 |
| North Dakota | 980 | $36,800 | $36,210 | $17.69 |
| New Hampshire | 3,420 | $36,780 | $36,440 | $17.68 |
| Arizona | 16,590 | $36,750 | $37,810 | $17.67 |
| Connecticut | 12,250 | $36,650 | $39,290 | $17.62 |
| Vermont | 1,350 | $36,550 | $38,850 | $17.57 |
| Wyoming | 1,620 | $36,110 | $35,210 | $17.36 |
| Maine | 4,560 | $36,030 | $37,470 | $17.32 |
| Delaware | 2,400 | $35,930 | $36,360 | $17.28 |
| Florida | 73,100 | $35,920 | $35,210 | $17.27 |
| Alaska | 2,800 | $35,720 | $37,230 | $17.17 |
| New York | 62,380 | $35,610 | $38,310 | $17.12 |
| New Jersey | 24,730 | $35,540 | $37,680 | $17.09 |
| Maryland | 13,280 | $35,500 | $37,090 | $17.07 |
| Rhode Island | 2,830 | $35,470 | $37,910 | $17.06 |
| Georgia | 26,450 | $35,250 | $33,970 | $16.95 |
| Nebraska | 6,890 | $35,210 | $34,880 | $16.93 |
| Virginia | 16,340 | $34,900 | $34,930 | $16.78 |
| Illinois | 34,820 | $34,850 | $36,260 | $16.75 |
| Minnesota | 24,620 | $34,850 | $35,610 | $16.76 |
| Ohio | 19,480 | $34,530 | $34,560 | $16.60 |
| Wisconsin | 17,990 | $34,070 | $34,000 | $16.38 |
| Montana | 2,990 | $33,860 | $33,700 | $16.28 |
| Utah | 10,530 | $33,540 | $34,580 | $16.12 |
| Nevada | 11,420 | $33,460 | $36,290 | $16.09 |
| New Mexico | 6,850 | $33,370 | $32,880 | $16.04 |
| South Carolina | 14,460 | $32,180 | $32,300 | $15.47 |
| Idaho | 4,670 | $31,510 | $32,380 | $15.15 |
| Missouri | 13,650 | $31,510 | $34,040 | $15.15 |
| Michigan | 17,380 | $31,180 | $32,720 | $14.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,940 | $30,840 | $31,880 | $14.83 |
| Texas | 81,280 | $30,650 | $32,120 | $14.74 |
| Virgin Islands | 390 | $30,460 | $30,160 | $14.64 |
| South Dakota | 3,270 | $30,430 | $31,630 | $14.63 |
| Iowa | 4,170 | $30,360 | $32,080 | $14.60 |
| Kansas | 7,680 | $30,280 | $31,460 | $14.56 |
| North Carolina | 24,960 | $30,260 | $31,270 | $14.55 |
| Indiana | 16,200 | $29,700 | $31,560 | $14.28 |
| Tennessee | 19,780 | $28,700 | $30,860 | $13.80 |
| Oklahoma | 7,430 | $28,540 | $28,710 | $13.72 |
| West Virginia | 2,960 | $28,360 | $28,450 | $13.63 |
| Alabama | 17,680 | $27,930 | $28,460 | $13.43 |
| Arkansas | 5,500 | $27,660 | $29,460 | $13.30 |
| Kentucky | 15,390 | $26,850 | $28,760 | $12.91 |
| Mississippi | 7,870 | $26,240 | $26,750 | $12.61 |
| Louisiana | 30,920 | $23,620 | $25,580 | $11.36 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,130 | $22,400 | $23,720 | $10.77 |
| Guam | 530 | $21,820 | $22,470 | $10.49 |
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, Short Order$35,880 a year
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$35,840 a year
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$35,360 a year
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,230 a year
- Dishwashers$34,810 a year
- Bartenders$34,340 a year
Common questions
How much do Food Preparation Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $35,320 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $25,810 and the highest-paid 10% more than $45,340.
How many people work as Food Preparation Workers?
About 893,600 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.