SOC 51-3093 · Production Occupations
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders wages by metro
National median annual wage
$41,590
- 10th percentile
- $31,680
- 25th percentile
- $36,190
- Median
- $41,590
- 75th percentile
- $47,380
- 90th percentile
- $54,410
- Mean
- $42,570
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 31,250.
That median is 18.4% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
.jpg){kind=link}
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 40 | $40,060 | $63,690 | $80,480 |
| Modesto, CA | 140 | $36,020 | $59,010 | $82,930 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 80 | $37,920 | $57,680 | $57,680 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 110 | $34,490 | $57,490 | $57,490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 190 | $48,560 | $56,190 | $60,660 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 190 | $27,920 | $55,270 | $58,070 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 190 | $39,270 | $51,600 | $57,390 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 70 | $35,510 | $51,560 | $53,340 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 40 | $35,710 | $50,330 | $63,740 |
| Dubuque, IA | 40 | $37,660 | $50,140 | $50,140 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 460 | $34,660 | $49,220 | $51,970 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 160 | $46,890 | $48,980 | $62,620 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 100 | $38,180 | $48,460 | $48,600 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 260 | $34,670 | $48,420 | $49,480 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 230 | $43,090 | $48,290 | $56,590 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 50 | $39,980 | $48,230 | $54,580 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 70 | $28,060 | $48,010 | $55,900 |
| Appleton, WI | 60 | $40,590 | $47,920 | $61,600 |
| Rochester, NY | 150 | $36,290 | $47,760 | $67,250 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 40 | $43,190 | $47,380 | $47,830 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,900 | $36,430 | $44,280 | $52,600 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 880 | $36,120 | $41,590 | $57,710 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 850 | $27,050 | $35,240 | $46,260 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 600 | $24,870 | $32,180 | $43,660 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 530 | $27,260 | $30,340 | $37,960 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 520 | $33,530 | $36,740 | $39,190 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 510 | $32,290 | $38,890 | $49,240 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 490 | $31,720 | $39,790 | $39,790 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 460 | $34,660 | $49,220 | $51,970 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 390 | $35,880 | $41,800 | $62,980 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 370 | $37,160 | $46,350 | $51,520 |
| Boise City, ID | 360 | $38,520 | $45,120 | $75,420 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 330 | $26,070 | $35,350 | $39,140 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 320 | $35,130 | $42,760 | $47,300 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 300 | $37,400 | $45,260 | $49,630 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 290 | $29,700 | $36,190 | $61,320 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 270 | $31,600 | $40,170 | $54,350 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 270 | $28,810 | $34,200 | $53,080 |
| Florence, SC | 260 | $38,030 | $38,220 | $46,140 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 260 | $34,670 | $48,420 | $49,480 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 310 | $41,060 | $51,100 | $60,660 |
| Utah | 390 | $31,850 | $48,620 | $52,830 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | $37,760 | $47,960 | $56,530 |
| Iowa | 850 | $43,410 | $47,900 | $52,020 |
| Michigan | 380 | $39,980 | $47,260 | $54,440 |
| Minnesota | 1,410 | $46,660 | $47,250 | $49,770 |
| Colorado | 300 | $40,100 | $46,900 | $62,620 |
| Kansas | 750 | $33,330 | $45,850 | $50,030 |
| New York | 1,300 | $36,300 | $45,680 | $60,250 |
| Tennessee | 1,820 | $35,100 | $45,620 | $62,560 |
| Nebraska | 670 | $34,910 | $45,420 | $57,390 |
| Idaho | 790 | $36,630 | $45,120 | $75,380 |
| California | 2,010 | $35,770 | $44,740 | $53,340 |
| Oregon | 570 | $36,450 | $44,530 | $55,770 |
| Louisiana | 550 | $18,680 | $44,440 | $61,360 |
| Arizona | 560 | $32,210 | $44,050 | $51,970 |
| Indiana | 540 | $38,820 | $43,350 | $51,730 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,580 | $34,960 | $42,710 | $51,520 |
| Illinois | 2,460 | $32,480 | $42,670 | $51,320 |
| Missouri | 620 | $28,810 | $42,160 | $57,020 |
| Kentucky | 300 | $36,360 | $41,800 | $52,990 |
| Ohio | 980 | $33,740 | $41,160 | $55,430 |
| Arkansas | 330 | $34,660 | $40,480 | $48,930 |
| New Hampshire | 110 | $34,100 | $40,440 | $50,170 |
| Wisconsin | 850 | $35,000 | $40,000 | $60,400 |
| South Dakota | 120 | $31,280 | $39,270 | $48,890 |
| North Carolina | 770 | $28,770 | $39,070 | $46,430 |
| Connecticut | 60 | $34,010 | $38,880 | $49,680 |
| Georgia | 690 | $31,500 | $38,440 | $49,280 |
| South Carolina | 520 | $36,520 | $38,220 | $46,370 |
| Maine | 170 | $35,990 | $37,500 | $53,150 |
| New Jersey | 430 | $32,220 | $37,180 | $45,170 |
| Maryland | Not available | $33,530 | $36,960 | $40,090 |
| Nevada | Not available | $31,270 | $36,610 | $47,510 |
| Florida | 970 | $29,800 | $36,450 | $47,550 |
| Oklahoma | 1,140 | $35,680 | $36,030 | $45,490 |
| Virginia | 510 | $31,480 | $35,140 | $48,800 |
| Texas | 3,180 | $25,480 | $33,980 | $45,460 |
| Delaware | Not available | $31,240 | $31,240 | $39,530 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $21,730 | $31,150 | $35,340 |
| Alabama | 250 | $23,000 | $27,080 | $45,200 |
| Puerto Rico | 220 | $23,380 | $25,480 | $27,830 |
Other production occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Machinists
- Production Workers, All Other
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is $41,590. Employment is 31,250.
How does Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is 18.4% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Cedar Rapids, IA is highest on this page's list at $63,690.