SOC 35-9099 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other wages by metro

National median annual wage

$35,840

10th percentile: $25,470
25th percentile: $31,200
Median: $35,840
75th percentile: $39,880
90th percentile: $47,550
Mean: $36,810

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 84,630.

That median is 29.7% 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.

An auto mechanic working on a car engine — An auto mechanic working on an engine. Photograph by Okpashira. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Salem, OR	40	$41,260	$49,900	$61,300
Kahului-Wailuku, HI	40	$34,480	$49,400	$87,430
Omaha, NE-IA	Not available	$34,850	$48,070	$61,470
Bend, OR	30	$33,560	$45,810	$51,290
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1,430	$39,650	$44,720	$50,890
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	360	$34,100	$43,350	$47,730
Manchester-Nashua, NH	110	$22,360	$43,330	$44,150
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	2,740	$38,830	$41,970	$64,160
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	400	$32,220	$41,180	$45,980
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	550	$23,120	$40,370	$40,370
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,300	$31,200	$39,930	$56,030
Flagstaff, AZ	50	$36,240	$39,670	$54,880
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	110	$32,610	$39,570	$47,910
Boulder, CO	Not available	$33,600	$39,270	$48,550
Napa, CA	320	$34,660	$39,080	$49,300
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	390	$36,250	$38,910	$48,000
Redding, CA	100	$34,320	$38,770	$48,490
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1,680	$34,360	$38,590	$47,760
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	460	$28,220	$38,530	$38,550
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	Not available	$34,910	$38,430	$48,540

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	14,270	$34,760	$36,810	$56,520
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	3,340	$34,320	$36,330	$45,540
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	3,180	$34,320	$35,260	$46,710
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	2,770	$32,430	$35,060	$48,090
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	2,740	$38,830	$41,970	$64,160
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,300	$31,200	$39,930	$56,030
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	1,980	$31,240	$37,390	$48,250
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1,780	$27,040	$31,080	$45,750
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	1,710	$31,730	$35,770	$47,360
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1,680	$34,360	$38,590	$47,760
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1,500	$23,040	$27,280	$39,490
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	1,500	$22,690	$31,440	$40,300
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1,430	$39,650	$44,720	$50,890
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	1,200	$19,020	$23,420	$38,540
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,160	$22,410	$32,320	$46,450
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	1,010	$34,480	$36,350	$50,340
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	940	$20,800	$31,200	$42,860
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	930	$32,220	$34,190	$41,330
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	900	$24,960	$34,990	$58,020
Columbus, OH	820	$23,620	$27,080	$37,090

States and territories

State estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Nebraska	Not available	$33,170	$46,170	$61,720
Hawaii	410	$30,970	$43,540	$80,380
Oregon	600	$34,910	$39,080	$51,290
Illinois	2,720	$31,200	$38,880	$56,000
District of Columbia	40	$36,400	$38,580	$64,330
New Hampshire	370	$25,520	$38,210	$44,150
Indiana	Not available	$19,390	$38,160	$40,040
Arizona	1,060	$33,140	$37,600	$51,360
Maryland	3,540	$31,720	$37,500	$48,250
Utah	290	$30,740	$37,180	$47,910
California	30,730	$34,530	$36,910	$53,130
Tennessee	2,670	$22,990	$36,640	$40,370
Connecticut	1,060	$34,010	$36,320	$45,160
New Jersey	3,780	$32,220	$36,290	$47,730
New Mexico	130	$31,610	$36,250	$38,090
Virginia	1,390	$27,780	$35,870	$45,760
Colorado	2,970	$31,380	$35,710	$47,360
Massachusetts	Not available	$31,730	$35,300	$40,050
Michigan	530	$25,960	$35,100	$45,080
Washington	Not available	$34,650	$34,650	$45,240
New York	380	$33,040	$34,340	$56,950
Florida	3,900	$27,040	$34,200	$45,750
Delaware	Not available	$31,200	$33,840	$34,200
Iowa	310	$24,360	$33,480	$42,330
Pennsylvania	730	$23,590	$33,040	$42,860
Vermont	120	$31,820	$32,420	$48,070
Wyoming	80	$30,990	$31,840	$41,380
Arkansas	430	$25,410	$31,660	$61,520
Nevada	1,140	$24,960	$31,510	$58,020
Wisconsin	490	$25,400	$31,240	$38,940
Oklahoma	140	$28,920	$31,200	$34,640
Rhode Island	Not available	$31,200	$31,200	$65,540
Mississippi	810	$22,920	$30,600	$36,990
Texas	4,030	$20,800	$30,210	$44,730
North Carolina	4,670	$20,570	$30,160	$39,330
Montana	470	$24,210	$29,720	$38,600
Missouri	Not available	$28,600	$28,600	$46,800
Ohio	3,260	$22,790	$27,540	$35,790
Virgin Islands	60	$21,840	$27,300	$44,830
Georgia	3,130	$21,720	$25,740	$36,610
North Dakota	Not available	$21,850	$23,410	$38,370
Alabama	Not available	$16,990	$22,990	$37,450
Puerto Rico	100	$21,840	$22,620	$25,420
South Carolina	850	$17,600	$22,230	$34,110
Louisiana	3,670	$17,400	$21,820	$36,530
West Virginia	70	$20,820	$21,640	$61,050
Guam	270	$19,990	$21,600	$22,550

Other food preparation and serving related occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other is $35,840. Employment is 84,630.

How does Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other is 29.7% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Salem, OR is highest on this page's list at $49,900.