Food Preparation Workers
Food Preparation Workers (SOC 35-2021) earn a median $35,320 a year ($16.98 an hour) in the United States, with 893,600 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What food preparation workers do
Food preparation workers do the groundwork in a kitchen that does not involve cooking. Typical jobs include assembling cold foods, handling shellfish, cutting meat into slices, and making coffee or tea. They measure and weigh ingredients, help cooks and other kitchen staff, and hand cooks the items they need. They haul food, equipment, and utensils between storage and work areas, and place food in proper containers and storage spaces so it does not spoil. They check and write down the temperatures of food and of refrigerators and freezers. Cleaning is a regular part of the day: workers sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware, carry out trash, and sweep and mop kitchen floors. Dishwashers differ because their main concern is cleaning dishes and kitchens, and fast-food and counter workers differ because they serve customers.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 69 percent).
Also called: Cafeteria Aide, Carver, Caterer, Caterer Helper, Catering Assistant.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.41 | $14.40 | $16.98 | $18.53 | $21.80 | $16.96 | 893,600 |
| Annual | $25,810 | $29,950 | $35,320 | $38,550 | $45,340 | $35,290 | ||
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 workers 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.78 | $17.25 | $19.67 | $22.79 | $24.87 | $20.51 | 19,510 | 5.50 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $34,890 | $35,880 | $40,910 | $47,390 | $51,730 | $42,660 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.03 | $18.30 | $19.04 | $21.17 | $21.81 | $19.88 | 3,970 | 5.66 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $37,510 | $38,070 | $39,600 | $44,040 | $45,370 | $41,350 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $16.92 | $17.79 | $18.92 | $21.42 | $23.30 | $19.94 | 112,750 | 6.19 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $35,190 | $37,010 | $39,350 | $44,540 | $48,470 | $41,480 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $14.81 | $16.68 | $18.73 | $21.51 | $23.56 | $19.33 | 12,080 | 4.20 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $30,800 | $34,690 | $38,960 | $44,740 | $49,000 | $40,210 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $16.48 | $17.34 | $18.70 | $21.43 | $23.28 | $19.73 | 13,620 | 3.75 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $34,280 | $36,060 | $38,900 | $44,580 | $48,420 | $41,030 | ||||
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 | $16.92 | $17.79 | $18.92 | $21.42 | $23.30 | $19.94 | 112,750 | 6.19 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $35,190 | $37,010 | $39,350 | $44,540 | $48,470 | $41,480 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.96 | $13.04 | $14.74 | $17.81 | $20.41 | $15.44 | 81,280 | 5.78 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $22,790 | $27,110 | $30,650 | $37,050 | $42,450 | $32,120 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.55 | $14.63 | $17.27 | $18.00 | $20.82 | $16.93 | 73,100 | 7.36 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $28,190 | $30,420 | $35,920 | $37,440 | $43,300 | $35,210 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.00 | $16.50 | $17.12 | $19.35 | $22.50 | $18.42 | 62,380 | 6.44 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $34,320 | $35,610 | $40,250 | $46,800 | $38,310 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.75 | $18.21 | $21.63 | $17.43 | 34,820 | 5.71 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,850 | $37,880 | $44,990 | $36,260 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $16.59 | $17.68 | $22.44 | $25.54 | $34.00 | $23.15 | 720 | 9.76 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $34,510 | $36,780 | $46,680 | $53,130 | $70,710 | $48,150 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $17.95 | $19.21 | $21.91 | $23.02 | $26.71 | $21.95 | 5,930 | 5.23 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $37,340 | $39,960 | $45,580 | $47,890 | $55,550 | $45,660 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $17.03 | $18.33 | $21.07 | $23.65 | $26.30 | $21.34 | 11,060 | 5.30 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $35,410 | $38,120 | $43,830 | $49,190 | $54,700 | $44,390 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $17.52 | $18.28 | $20.58 | $22.45 | $26.75 | $21.27 | 620 | 8.01 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $36,450 | $38,030 | $42,810 | $46,700 | $55,650 | $44,240 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $17.34 | $18.25 | $20.50 | $22.15 | $24.78 | $20.89 | 1,410 | 6.85 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $36,060 | $37,960 | $42,640 | $46,080 | $51,530 | $43,450 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.39 | $16.50 | $17.15 | $20.00 | $22.91 | $18.65 | 63,530 | 6.69 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $34,080 | $34,330 | $35,670 | $41,600 | $47,650 | $38,790 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.31 | $18.03 | $19.12 | $21.24 | $22.51 | $19.82 | 44,930 | 7.16 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $36,000 | $37,500 | $39,770 | $44,170 | $46,810 | $41,220 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.00 | $17.02 | $18.69 | $21.80 | $17.78 | 27,100 | 6.00 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,410 | $38,870 | $45,330 | $36,980 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $11.69 | $13.42 | $14.78 | $17.81 | $21.21 | $15.85 | 21,700 | 5.36 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $24,320 | $27,910 | $30,740 | $37,040 | $44,110 | $32,960 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.89 | $14.37 | $17.35 | $17.93 | $21.23 | $17.07 | 19,630 | 6.96 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $28,880 | $29,890 | $36,090 | $37,300 | $44,160 | $35,500 | ||||
Top industries employing food preparation workers
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 48.4% of food preparation workers nationally (432,070 jobs) at a median $34,330 a year ($16.50 an hour), followed by Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) (20.9%) and Special Food Services (7.4%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 432,070 | 48.4% | $34,330 | $16.50 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 186,590 | 20.9% | $35,900 | $17.26 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 65,900 | 7.4% | $36,670 | $17.63 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 28,350 | 3.2% | $36,880 | $17.73 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 28,080 | 3.1% | $38,810 | $18.66 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (893,600). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $28,780 for food preparation workers in May 2021 and $35,320 in May 2025, with employment of 783,350 and 893,600.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $28,780 | $13.84 | 783,350 |
| May 2022 | $29,790 | $14.32 | 904,330 |
| May 2023 | $32,420 | $15.59 | 879,610 |
| May 2024 | $34,220 | $16.45 | 888,770 |
| May 2025 | $35,320 | $16.98 | 893,600 |
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
51 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 | Washington profile | $19.67 | $40,910 | $34,890 | $51,730 | 19,510 | 5.50 | 0.96 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $19.04 | $39,600 | $37,510 | $45,370 | 3,970 | 5.66 | 0.98 |
| 3 | California profile | $18.92 | $39,350 | $35,190 | $48,470 | 112,750 | 6.19 | 1.08 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $18.73 | $38,960 | $30,800 | $49,000 | 12,080 | 4.20 | 0.73 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $18.70 | $38,900 | $34,280 | $48,420 | 13,620 | 3.75 | 0.65 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $18.35 | $38,160 | $29,950 | $57,720 | 5,950 | 9.47 | 1.65 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $18.00 | $37,450 | $31,560 | $48,580 | 11,860 | 6.03 | 1.05 |
| 8 | North Dakota profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $28,400 | $43,840 | 980 | 2.28 | 0.40 |
| 9 | New Hampshire profile | $17.68 | $36,780 | $26,830 | $45,980 | 3,420 | 5.01 | 0.87 |
| 10 | Arizona profile | $17.67 | $36,750 | $31,300 | $44,640 | 16,590 | 5.12 | 0.89 |
| 11 | Connecticut profile | $17.62 | $36,650 | $34,010 | $47,790 | 12,250 | 7.22 | 1.26 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $17.57 | $36,550 | $31,840 | $49,020 | 1,350 | 4.43 | 0.77 |
| 13 | Wyoming profile | $17.36 | $36,110 | $22,880 | $46,590 | 1,620 | 5.75 | 1.00 |
| 14 | Maine profile | $17.32 | $36,030 | $31,150 | $46,400 | 4,560 | 7.12 | 1.24 |
| 15 | Delaware profile | $17.28 | $35,930 | $31,200 | $43,070 | 2,400 | 4.96 | 0.86 |
| 16 | Florida profile | $17.27 | $35,920 | $28,190 | $43,300 | 73,100 | 7.36 | 1.28 |
| 17 | Alaska profile | $17.17 | $35,720 | $30,350 | $46,440 | 2,800 | 8.60 | 1.50 |
| 18 | New York profile | $17.12 | $35,610 | $33,280 | $46,800 | 62,380 | 6.44 | 1.12 |
| 19 | New Jersey profile | $17.09 | $35,540 | $32,220 | $46,070 | 24,730 | 5.77 | 1.00 |
| 20 | Maryland profile | $17.07 | $35,500 | $31,290 | $45,890 | 13,280 | 4.81 | 0.84 |
| 21 | Rhode Island profile | $17.06 | $35,470 | $31,200 | $45,220 | 2,830 | 5.64 | 0.98 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | $16.95 | $35,250 | $24,840 | $40,390 | 26,450 | 5.41 | 0.94 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | $16.93 | $35,210 | $28,740 | $42,560 | 6,890 | 6.72 | 1.17 |
| 24 | Virginia profile | $16.78 | $34,900 | $28,460 | $42,480 | 16,340 | 3.98 | 0.69 |
| 25 | Illinois profile | $16.75 | $34,850 | $31,200 | $44,990 | 34,820 | 5.71 | 0.99 |
| 26 | Minnesota profile | $16.76 | $34,850 | $29,150 | $45,790 | 24,620 | 8.35 | 1.45 |
| 27 | Ohio profile | $16.60 | $34,530 | $26,640 | $44,500 | 19,480 | 3.51 | 0.61 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $16.38 | $34,070 | $26,080 | $44,290 | 17,990 | 6.12 | 1.06 |
| 29 | Montana profile | $16.28 | $33,860 | $26,000 | $43,410 | 2,990 | 5.85 | 1.02 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $16.12 | $33,540 | $26,740 | $45,290 | 10,530 | 6.07 | 1.06 |
| 31 | Nevada profile | $16.09 | $33,460 | $26,140 | $50,600 | 11,420 | 7.36 | 1.28 |
| 32 | New Mexico profile | $16.04 | $33,370 | $27,290 | $38,200 | 6,850 | 7.87 | 1.37 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | $15.47 | $32,180 | $22,990 | $40,370 | 14,460 | 6.27 | 1.09 |
| 34 | Idaho profile | $15.15 | $31,510 | $22,150 | $40,260 | 4,670 | 5.45 | 0.95 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $15.15 | $31,510 | $28,600 | $44,440 | 13,650 | 4.65 | 0.81 |
| 36 | Michigan profile | $14.99 | $31,180 | $26,540 | $38,620 | 17,380 | 3.95 | 0.69 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania profile | $14.83 | $30,840 | $22,360 | $39,600 | 17,940 | 2.96 | 0.51 |
| 38 | Texas profile | $14.74 | $30,650 | $22,790 | $42,450 | 81,280 | 5.78 | 1.01 |
| 39 | South Dakota profile | $14.63 | $30,430 | $26,510 | $38,580 | 3,270 | 7.15 | 1.24 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | $14.60 | $30,360 | $23,760 | $40,250 | 4,170 | 2.67 | 0.47 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $14.56 | $30,280 | $22,880 | $39,220 | 7,680 | 5.35 | 0.93 |
| 42 | North Carolina profile | $14.55 | $30,260 | $21,870 | $38,760 | 24,960 | 5.05 | 0.88 |
| 43 | Indiana profile | $14.28 | $29,700 | $23,170 | $39,050 | 16,200 | 5.06 | 0.88 |
| 44 | Tennessee profile | $13.80 | $28,700 | $22,290 | $39,660 | 19,780 | 6.03 | 1.05 |
| 45 | Oklahoma profile | $13.72 | $28,540 | $20,800 | $35,980 | 7,430 | 4.35 | 0.76 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $13.63 | $28,360 | $21,570 | $35,890 | 2,960 | 4.22 | 0.73 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $13.43 | $27,930 | $20,820 | $37,580 | 17,680 | 8.37 | 1.46 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $13.30 | $27,660 | $24,020 | $36,260 | 5,500 | 4.22 | 0.73 |
| 49 | Kentucky profile | $12.91 | $26,850 | $20,900 | $37,830 | 15,390 | 7.70 | 1.34 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $12.61 | $26,240 | $18,790 | $36,100 | 7,870 | 6.77 | 1.18 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $11.36 | $23,620 | $17,970 | $34,190 | 30,920 | 15.98 | 2.78 |
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 35-2021 Food Preparation Workers.
- 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 35-2021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-2021.00, 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.