Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
SOC major group 35-0000: 17 detailed occupations, 17 with a published national median (May 2025). The group employs 13,680,750 people nationally.
The group as a whole
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $11.11 | $13.83 | $16.85 | $20.12 | $24.68 | $17.86 | 13,680,750 |
| Annual | $23,120 | $28,760 | $35,050 | $41,860 | $51,340 | $37,150 | ||
Every occupation in the group, by median annual wage
| Occupation | SOC | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 35-1011 | $30.03 | $62,470 | $66,700 | 200,040 |
| Cooks, Private Household | 35-2013 | $23.05 | $47,940 | $53,680 | 1,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 35-1012 | $21.19 | $44,080 | $46,180 | 1,223,240 |
| Cooks, All Other | 35-2019 | $18.12 | $37,690 | $39,150 | 19,350 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 35-2012 | $18.01 | $37,450 | $38,810 | 441,050 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 35-2014 | $17.98 | $37,390 | $38,730 | 1,409,890 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 35-2015 | $17.25 | $35,880 | $36,120 | 138,650 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 35-9099 | $17.23 | $35,840 | $36,810 | 84,630 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 35-3041 | $17.00 | $35,360 | $36,140 | 293,900 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 35-2021 | $16.98 | $35,320 | $35,290 | 893,600 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 35-3031 | $16.94 | $35,230 | $40,060 | 2,270,910 |
| Dishwashers | 35-9021 | $16.73 | $34,810 | $34,310 | 477,450 |
| Bartenders | 35-3011 | $16.51 | $34,340 | $40,790 | 756,390 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 35-9011 | $16.34 | $33,980 | $34,230 | 542,750 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 35-3023 | $15.00 | $31,200 | $32,150 | 3,854,050 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 35-9031 | $15.00 | $31,200 | $32,690 | 432,690 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 35-2011 | $14.85 | $30,890 | $32,390 | 641,070 |
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: National OEWS estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.