Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other (SOC 35-9099) earn a median $35,840 a year ($17.23 an hour) in the United States, with 84,630 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Nebraska.
What food preparation and serving related workers, all other do
This residual category holds food preparation and serving workers whose duties fall outside the specific codes for cooks, bartenders, servers, hosts, dishwashers, and attendants. O*NET lists titles such as food and beverage checker, food aide, automat car attendant, and dietitian helper, which show how varied it is. Examples include food order expediters, food mobile drivers, galley workers, and galley boys. The standard classification offers no definition beyond a statement that the group takes whatever food service jobs are not described elsewhere, and O*NET lists no core tasks. Duties therefore depend on the title and the employer. A worker whose tasks match a specific food service code, such as cook, bartender, or dishwasher, is counted in that code instead, so this one is best treated as a mixed group.
Also called: Automat Car Attendant, Dietitian Helper, Food Aide, Food and Beverage Checker, Food Mobile Driver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.25 | $15.00 | $17.23 | $19.17 | $22.86 | $17.70 | 84,630 |
| Annual | $25,470 | $31,200 | $35,840 | $39,880 | $47,550 | $36,810 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where food preparation and serving related workers, all other earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Nebraska | Hourly | $15.95 | $16.76 | $22.20 | $29.55 | $29.68 | $22.75 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $33,170 | $34,850 | $46,170 | $61,470 | $61,720 | $47,320 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $14.89 | $17.17 | $20.93 | $30.84 | $38.65 | $25.36 | 410 | 0.66 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $30,970 | $35,710 | $43,540 | $64,150 | $80,380 | $52,740 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $16.78 | $17.81 | $18.79 | $22.77 | $24.66 | $20.55 | 600 | 0.31 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $34,910 | $37,050 | $39,080 | $47,360 | $51,290 | $42,740 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $16.00 | $18.69 | $21.74 | $26.92 | $19.58 | 2,720 | 0.45 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $33,290 | $38,880 | $45,230 | $56,000 | $40,720 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.55 | $18.55 | $18.55 | $30.93 | $21.68 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.11 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $38,580 | $38,580 | $38,580 | $64,330 | $45,100 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.60 | $17.03 | $17.75 | $20.81 | $25.54 | $19.89 | 30,730 | 1.69 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $34,530 | $35,410 | $36,910 | $43,290 | $53,130 | $41,370 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $9.89 | $13.02 | $14.50 | $17.02 | $18.91 | $15.12 | 4,670 | 0.94 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $20,570 | $27,080 | $30,160 | $35,410 | $39,330 | $31,450 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.00 | $12.53 | $14.52 | $18.37 | $21.50 | $15.40 | 4,030 | 0.29 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $20,800 | $26,050 | $30,210 | $38,210 | $44,730 | $32,030 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.00 | $13.80 | $16.44 | $17.93 | $21.99 | $16.84 | 3,900 | 0.39 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $27,040 | $28,700 | $34,200 | $37,290 | $45,750 | $35,030 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.49 | $16.06 | $17.45 | $19.89 | $22.95 | $18.56 | 3,780 | 0.88 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $33,410 | $36,290 | $41,380 | $47,730 | $38,600 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Salem, OR | Hourly | $19.84 | $22.09 | $23.99 | $29.47 | $29.47 | $25.19 | 40 | 0.22 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $41,260 | $45,960 | $49,900 | $61,300 | $61,300 | $52,400 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $16.58 | $19.97 | $23.75 | $34.99 | $42.04 | $27.18 | 40 | 0.49 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $34,480 | $41,540 | $49,400 | $72,780 | $87,430 | $56,540 | ||||
| Omaha, NE-IA | Hourly | $16.75 | $16.76 | $23.11 | $29.55 | $29.55 | $22.24 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $34,850 | $34,850 | $48,070 | $61,470 | $61,470 | $46,250 | ||||
| Bend, OR | Hourly | $16.14 | $18.29 | $22.02 | $23.74 | $24.66 | $21.88 | 30 | 0.28 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $33,560 | $38,050 | $45,810 | $49,370 | $51,290 | $45,520 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $19.06 | $20.23 | $21.50 | $22.29 | $24.47 | $21.79 | 1,430 | 1.26 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $39,650 | $42,080 | $44,720 | $46,360 | $50,890 | $45,320 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.71 | $17.18 | $17.70 | $20.58 | $27.18 | $19.75 | 14,270 | 2.28 | 4.18 |
| Annual | $34,760 | $35,730 | $36,810 | $42,810 | $56,520 | $41,080 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.92 | $17.47 | $18.69 | $21.89 | $18.87 | 3,340 | 2.17 | 3.99 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $35,200 | $36,330 | $38,880 | $45,540 | $39,240 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.84 | $16.95 | $18.79 | $22.46 | $19.20 | 3,180 | 1.85 | 3.40 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $35,020 | $35,260 | $39,080 | $46,710 | $39,940 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.59 | $15.96 | $16.86 | $18.38 | $23.12 | $18.35 | 2,770 | 0.29 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $32,430 | $33,200 | $35,060 | $38,230 | $48,090 | $38,170 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.67 | $18.97 | $20.18 | $23.45 | $30.85 | $22.78 | 2,740 | 1.16 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $38,830 | $39,450 | $41,970 | $48,780 | $64,160 | $47,390 | ||||
Top industries employing food preparation and serving related workers, all other
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 63.4% of food preparation and serving related workers, all other nationally (53,630 jobs) at a median $35,250 a year ($16.95 an hour), followed by Special Food Services (9.2%) and Traveler Accommodation (5.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 53,630 | 63.4% | $35,250 | $16.95 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 7,770 | 9.2% | $37,760 | $18.15 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 4,500 | 5.3% | $38,160 | $18.35 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 3,930 | 4.6% | $37,690 | $18.12 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 2,060 | 2.4% | $37,870 | $18.21 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (84,630). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,120 for food preparation and serving related workers, all other in May 2021 and $35,840 in May 2025, with employment of 83,240 and 84,630.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,120 | $14.00 | 83,240 |
| May 2022 | $30,840 | $14.83 | 81,930 |
| May 2023 | $33,870 | $16.29 | 86,350 |
| May 2024 | $34,830 | $16.74 | 89,580 |
| May 2025 | $35,840 | $17.23 | 84,630 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
44 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $33,170 | $61,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | $20.93 | $43,540 | $30,970 | $80,380 | 410 | 0.66 | 1.21 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $18.79 | $39,080 | $34,910 | $51,290 | 600 | 0.31 | 0.56 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | $18.69 | $38,880 | $31,200 | $56,000 | 2,720 | 0.45 | 0.82 |
| 5 | District of Columbia profile | $18.55 | $38,580 | $36,400 | $64,330 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.11 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | $18.37 | $38,210 | $25,520 | $44,150 | 370 | 0.54 | 0.99 |
| 7 | Indiana profile | $18.35 | $38,160 | $19,390 | $40,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Arizona profile | $18.08 | $37,600 | $33,140 | $51,360 | 1,060 | 0.33 | 0.60 |
| 9 | Maryland profile | $18.03 | $37,500 | $31,720 | $48,250 | 3,540 | 1.28 | 2.36 |
| 10 | Utah profile | $17.87 | $37,180 | $30,740 | $47,910 | 290 | 0.17 | 0.31 |
| 11 | California profile | $17.75 | $36,910 | $34,530 | $53,130 | 30,730 | 1.69 | 3.10 |
| 12 | Tennessee profile | $17.61 | $36,640 | $22,990 | $40,370 | 2,670 | 0.82 | 1.50 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $17.46 | $36,320 | $34,010 | $45,160 | 1,060 | 0.63 | 1.15 |
| 14 | New Jersey profile | $17.45 | $36,290 | $32,220 | $47,730 | 3,780 | 0.88 | 1.62 |
| 15 | New Mexico profile | $17.43 | $36,250 | $31,610 | $38,090 | 130 | 0.15 | 0.27 |
| 16 | Virginia profile | $17.25 | $35,870 | $27,780 | $45,760 | 1,390 | 0.34 | 0.62 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $17.17 | $35,710 | $31,380 | $47,360 | 2,970 | 1.03 | 1.90 |
| 18 | Massachusetts profile | $16.97 | $35,300 | $31,730 | $40,050 | ** | ** | ** |
| 19 | Michigan profile | $16.88 | $35,100 | $25,960 | $45,080 | 530 | 0.12 | 0.22 |
| 20 | Washington profile | $16.66 | $34,650 | $34,650 | $45,240 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | New York profile | $16.51 | $34,340 | $33,040 | $56,950 | 380 | 0.04 | 0.07 |
| 22 | Florida profile | $16.44 | $34,200 | $27,040 | $45,750 | 3,900 | 0.39 | 0.72 |
| 23 | Delaware profile | $16.27 | $33,840 | $31,200 | $34,200 | ** | ** | ** |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $16.10 | $33,480 | $24,360 | $42,330 | 310 | 0.20 | 0.36 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $15.89 | $33,040 | $23,590 | $42,860 | 730 | 0.12 | 0.22 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | $15.59 | $32,420 | $31,820 | $48,070 | 120 | 0.40 | 0.74 |
| 27 | Wyoming profile | $15.31 | $31,840 | $30,990 | $41,380 | 80 | 0.30 | 0.55 |
| 28 | Arkansas profile | $15.22 | $31,660 | $25,410 | $61,520 | 430 | 0.33 | 0.61 |
| 29 | Nevada profile | $15.15 | $31,510 | $24,960 | $58,020 | 1,140 | 0.73 | 1.35 |
| 30 | Wisconsin profile | $15.02 | $31,240 | $25,400 | $38,940 | 490 | 0.17 | 0.31 |
| 31 | Oklahoma profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $28,920 | $34,640 | 140 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| 32 | Rhode Island profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $65,540 | ** | ** | ** |
| 33 | Mississippi profile | $14.71 | $30,600 | $22,920 | $36,990 | 810 | 0.70 | 1.28 |
| 34 | Texas profile | $14.52 | $30,210 | $20,800 | $44,730 | 4,030 | 0.29 | 0.53 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $14.50 | $30,160 | $20,570 | $39,330 | 4,670 | 0.94 | 1.73 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $14.29 | $29,720 | $24,210 | $38,600 | 470 | 0.91 | 1.68 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $46,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 38 | Ohio profile | $13.24 | $27,540 | $22,790 | $35,790 | 3,260 | 0.59 | 1.08 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $12.38 | $25,740 | $21,720 | $36,610 | 3,130 | 0.64 | 1.18 |
| 40 | North Dakota profile | $11.25 | $23,410 | $21,850 | $38,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 41 | Alabama profile | $11.05 | $22,990 | $16,990 | $37,450 | ** | ** | ** |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $10.69 | $22,230 | $17,600 | $34,110 | 850 | 0.37 | 0.67 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $10.49 | $21,820 | $17,400 | $36,530 | 3,670 | 1.90 | 3.49 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | $10.40 | $21,640 | $20,820 | $61,050 | 70 | 0.11 | 0.19 |
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-9099 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- 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.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-9099, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-9099.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.