Food Processing Workers, All Other
Food Processing Workers, All Other (SOC 51-3099) earn a median $39,680 a year ($19.08 an hour) in the United States, with 65,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Colorado.
What food processing workers, all other do
This residual category holds food processing workers whose jobs do not match any of the more specific food processing occupations. Titles listed for it, such as olive pitter, pasta press operator, poultry hanger, and yeast maker, show how narrow the work can be, with each tied to one product or one step of production. The SOC definition adds no description beyond the catch-all label, so no common set of core tasks is attached to the code. A worker whose job fits a named occupation such as baker, butcher, food batchmaker, or cooking machine operator belongs in that code instead. Because the category is defined by exclusion, the typical duties vary widely from employer to employer. Use of this code signals only that no narrower food-processing occupation fits.
Also called: Olive Pitter, Pasta Press Operator, Poultry Hanger, Yeast Maker.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.49 | $17.51 | $19.08 | $21.22 | $23.05 | $19.38 | 65,000 |
| Annual | $32,210 | $36,410 | $39,680 | $44,130 | $47,950 | $40,300 | ||
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 processing 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 | ||||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $17.84 | $20.17 | $22.56 | $23.57 | $25.01 | $22.02 | 610 | 0.21 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $37,110 | $41,950 | $46,930 | $49,020 | $52,030 | $45,810 | ||||
| Idaho | Hourly | $18.33 | $19.33 | $22.51 | $26.76 | $26.76 | $22.63 | 130 | 0.15 | 0.36 |
| Annual | $38,130 | $40,200 | $46,820 | $55,650 | $55,660 | $47,070 | ||||
| Kansas | Hourly | $18.02 | $19.62 | $22.15 | $22.30 | $23.48 | $20.95 | 560 | 0.39 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $37,480 | $40,800 | $46,060 | $46,390 | $48,830 | $43,570 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $17.99 | $19.52 | $21.83 | $23.29 | $23.88 | $21.38 | 80 | 0.12 | 0.29 |
| Annual | $37,420 | $40,590 | $45,410 | $48,440 | $49,670 | $44,470 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $17.65 | $19.45 | $21.80 | $23.17 | $24.25 | $21.27 | 2,760 | 0.45 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $36,710 | $40,450 | $45,340 | $48,200 | $50,440 | $44,230 | ||||
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 | $16.97 | $17.49 | $18.38 | $20.77 | $23.30 | $19.60 | 7,140 | 0.39 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $35,290 | $36,390 | $38,230 | $43,200 | $48,450 | $40,760 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.78 | $17.45 | $19.30 | $20.80 | $22.41 | $19.08 | 6,780 | 0.48 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $30,750 | $36,290 | $40,150 | $43,270 | $46,610 | $39,690 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $13.60 | $16.68 | $18.18 | $18.83 | $23.06 | $18.14 | 5,650 | 1.16 | 2.77 |
| Annual | $28,300 | $34,700 | $37,810 | $39,160 | $47,960 | $37,740 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $19.34 | $19.38 | $20.07 | $20.27 | $20.74 | $20.11 | 5,210 | 3.34 | 8.00 |
| Annual | $40,230 | $40,320 | $41,740 | $42,160 | $43,140 | $41,820 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.78 | $16.88 | $17.96 | $20.48 | $21.79 | $18.31 | 4,770 | 0.97 | 2.31 |
| Annual | $28,660 | $35,110 | $37,360 | $42,600 | $45,320 | $38,080 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Rochester, MN | Hourly | $24.51 | $26.05 | $29.97 | $29.97 | $29.97 | $28.01 | 60 | 0.53 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $50,980 | $54,190 | $62,330 | $62,330 | $62,330 | $58,260 | ||||
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | Hourly | $17.19 | $18.16 | $25.68 | $32.03 | $32.03 | $25.03 | 120 | 2.54 | 6.08 |
| Annual | $35,750 | $37,760 | $53,420 | $66,630 | $66,630 | $52,050 | ||||
| Lancaster, PA | Hourly | $18.57 | $19.62 | $24.76 | $30.81 | $31.69 | $25.04 | 190 | 0.75 | 1.79 |
| Annual | $38,620 | $40,820 | $51,490 | $64,090 | $65,920 | $52,090 | ||||
| Longview-Kelso, WA | Hourly | $17.29 | $17.76 | $24.28 | $24.28 | $30.52 | $22.98 | 50 | 1.30 | 3.12 |
| Annual | $35,960 | $36,940 | $50,500 | $50,500 | $63,480 | $47,810 | ||||
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | Hourly | $18.44 | $19.85 | $24.19 | $30.96 | $30.96 | $24.34 | 90 | 0.28 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $38,340 | $41,290 | $50,310 | $64,390 | $64,390 | $50,620 | ||||
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 | $17.29 | $17.49 | $17.92 | $20.11 | $22.16 | $18.92 | 2,530 | 0.40 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $35,970 | $36,390 | $37,280 | $41,820 | $46,090 | $39,350 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $13.85 | $14.77 | $17.63 | $21.44 | $25.44 | $18.65 | 1,920 | 0.66 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $28,800 | $30,720 | $36,660 | $44,580 | $52,900 | $38,790 | ||||
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | Hourly | $20.07 | $20.07 | $22.29 | $22.31 | $22.31 | $21.17 | 1,710 | 22.85 | 54.67 |
| Annual | $41,740 | $41,740 | $46,350 | $46,400 | $46,400 | $44,020 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.56 | $19.07 | $20.59 | $23.35 | $24.71 | $21.26 | 1,150 | 0.26 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $34,440 | $39,660 | $42,840 | $48,580 | $51,390 | $44,230 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $14.00 | $16.59 | $18.32 | $21.31 | $22.41 | $18.65 | 1,030 | 0.31 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $29,130 | $34,500 | $38,100 | $44,330 | $46,610 | $38,790 | ||||
Top industries employing food processing workers, all other
Animal Slaughtering and Processing employ 43.3% of food processing workers, all other nationally (28,140 jobs) at a median $40,320 a year ($19.38 an hour), followed by Other Food Manufacturing (11.7%) and Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (6.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 28,140 | 43.3% | $40,320 | $19.38 |
| Other Food Manufacturing NAICS 311900 | 7,620 | 11.7% | $37,560 | $18.06 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing NAICS 311400 | 3,900 | 6.0% | $44,340 | $21.32 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 3,880 | 6.0% | $38,380 | $18.45 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing NAICS 311800 | 3,850 | 5.9% | $41,970 | $20.18 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (65,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $31,890 for food processing workers, all other in May 2021 and $39,680 in May 2025, with employment of 46,360 and 65,000.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $31,890 | $15.33 | 46,360 |
| May 2022 | $34,710 | $16.69 | 47,790 |
| May 2023 | $36,890 | $17.73 | 63,970 |
| May 2024 | $38,420 | $18.47 | 57,920 |
| May 2025 | $39,680 | $19.08 | 65,000 |
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
46 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 | Colorado profile | $22.56 | $46,930 | $37,110 | $52,030 | 610 | 0.21 | 0.51 |
| 2 | Idaho profile | $22.51 | $46,820 | $38,130 | $55,660 | 130 | 0.15 | 0.36 |
| 3 | Kansas profile | $22.15 | $46,060 | $37,480 | $48,830 | 560 | 0.39 | 0.94 |
| 4 | New Hampshire profile | $21.83 | $45,410 | $37,420 | $49,670 | 80 | 0.12 | 0.29 |
| 5 | Illinois profile | $21.80 | $45,340 | $36,710 | $50,440 | 2,760 | 0.45 | 1.08 |
| 6 | Arizona profile | $21.79 | $45,330 | $36,750 | $50,240 | 600 | 0.19 | 0.45 |
| 7 | North Dakota profile | $21.69 | $45,120 | $41,210 | $55,160 | 50 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| 8 | Missouri profile | $21.18 | $44,050 | $37,420 | $57,190 | 1,630 | 0.55 | 1.33 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $21.15 | $43,980 | $41,700 | $48,880 | 920 | 0.26 | 0.62 |
| 10 | Vermont profile | $20.82 | $43,300 | $33,900 | $51,090 | 120 | 0.41 | 0.98 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $20.77 | $43,200 | $37,300 | $52,440 | 210 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 12 | New York profile | $20.64 | $42,920 | $39,010 | $53,640 | 400 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| 13 | Wyoming profile | $20.55 | $42,740 | $38,890 | $53,480 | 30 | 0.12 | 0.30 |
| 14 | Tennessee profile | $20.52 | $42,690 | $35,900 | $50,610 | 1,910 | 0.58 | 1.39 |
| 15 | Minnesota profile | $20.10 | $41,800 | $38,580 | $51,850 | 2,000 | 0.68 | 1.62 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | $20.07 | $41,740 | $40,230 | $43,140 | 5,210 | 3.34 | 8.00 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania profile | $20.01 | $41,620 | $34,010 | $62,650 | 1,350 | 0.22 | 0.53 |
| 18 | Utah profile | $19.91 | $41,400 | $30,830 | $52,990 | 620 | 0.36 | 0.86 |
| 19 | Florida profile | $19.90 | $41,390 | $37,360 | $55,560 | 1,050 | 0.11 | 0.25 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $19.83 | $41,250 | $37,880 | $44,470 | 910 | 0.28 | 0.68 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $19.52 | $40,590 | $36,800 | $57,780 | 340 | 0.11 | 0.27 |
| 22 | Texas profile | $19.30 | $40,150 | $30,750 | $46,610 | 6,780 | 0.48 | 1.15 |
| 23 | Delaware profile | $18.98 | $39,470 | $37,860 | $41,400 | 510 | 1.06 | 2.53 |
| 24 | Ohio profile | $18.98 | $39,470 | $35,880 | $45,470 | 1,640 | 0.30 | 0.70 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $18.63 | $38,750 | $35,720 | $43,450 | 430 | 0.10 | 0.23 |
| 26 | Oklahoma profile | $18.53 | $38,530 | $32,830 | $45,780 | 360 | 0.21 | 0.51 |
| 27 | Maine profile | $18.40 | $38,270 | $32,170 | $45,520 | 110 | 0.17 | 0.41 |
| 28 | California profile | $18.38 | $38,230 | $35,290 | $48,450 | 7,140 | 0.39 | 0.94 |
| 29 | Oregon profile | $18.35 | $38,170 | $30,390 | $53,930 | 760 | 0.39 | 0.92 |
| 30 | Mississippi profile | $18.34 | $38,150 | $30,970 | $42,790 | 590 | 0.51 | 1.22 |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $34,730 | $47,190 | 1,770 | 1.36 | 3.25 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $18.18 | $37,810 | $28,300 | $47,960 | 5,650 | 1.16 | 2.77 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $18.18 | $37,810 | $34,790 | $43,390 | 1,190 | 0.29 | 0.69 |
| 34 | West Virginia profile | $18.15 | $37,750 | $36,870 | $39,770 | 100 | 0.15 | 0.35 |
| 35 | Montana profile | $18.15 | $37,740 | $33,870 | $50,690 | 140 | 0.28 | 0.66 |
| 36 | Alabama profile | $18.04 | $37,510 | $35,140 | $41,860 | 460 | 0.22 | 0.52 |
| 37 | Connecticut profile | $18.00 | $37,450 | $35,070 | $44,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 38 | Kentucky profile | $18.01 | $37,450 | $37,130 | $44,610 | 690 | 0.34 | 0.82 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $17.96 | $37,360 | $28,660 | $45,320 | 4,770 | 0.97 | 2.31 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | $17.82 | $37,060 | $34,430 | $42,470 | 510 | 0.22 | 0.53 |
| 41 | Maryland profile | $17.25 | $35,870 | $31,680 | $40,910 | 2,450 | 0.89 | 2.12 |
| 42 | Rhode Island profile | $16.71 | $34,770 | $31,200 | $39,100 | 160 | 0.32 | 0.77 |
| 43 | New Jersey profile | $16.67 | $34,670 | $32,220 | $48,300 | 940 | 0.22 | 0.53 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $16.61 | $34,560 | $26,060 | $42,210 | 230 | 0.26 | 0.63 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $15.02 | $31,230 | $23,410 | $43,990 | 2,950 | 1.52 | 3.65 |
| 46 | Nevada profile | $14.48 | $30,120 | $29,580 | $47,020 | 590 | 0.38 | 0.91 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-3090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production 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 51-3099 Food Processing 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 51-3099, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-3099.00, 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.