Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (Major Group)

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations comprises the following occupations: Chefs and Head Cooks; First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers; Cooks, All Other; Cooks, Private Household; Cooks, Short Order; Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria; Cooks, Fast Food; Cooks, Restaurant; Food Preparation Workers; Bartenders; Fast Food and Counter Workers; Waiters and Waitresses; Food Servers, Nonrestaurant; Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers; Dishwashers; Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop; Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other


National estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
Industry profile for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
Geographic profile for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

National estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
11,201,480 0.2 % $ 14.16 $ 29,450 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 8.89 $ 10.82 $ 13.65 $ 15.05 $ 18.90
Annual Wage (2) $ 18,480 $ 22,500 $ 28,400 $ 31,300 $ 39,320


Industry profile for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 8,292,350 87.92 $ 13.81 $ 28,720
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 377,530 12.77 $ 14.88 $ 30,940
Special Food Services 357,030 75.35 $ 15.76 $ 32,770
Elementary and Secondary Schools 315,720 3.90 $ 14.63 $ 30,430
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 261,820 85.31 $ 14.16 $ 29,450

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 8,292,350 87.92 $ 13.81 $ 28,720
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 261,820 85.31 $ 14.16 $ 29,450
Special Food Services 357,030 75.35 $ 15.76 $ 32,770
Rooming and Boarding Houses 1,900 21.13 $ 15.78 $ 32,810
Beverage Manufacturing 58,610 20.89 $ 15.85 $ 32,960

Top paying industries for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting 30 0.02 $ 39.44 $ 82,030
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 50 (7) $ 31.34 $ 65,180
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 370 1.13 $ 25.83 $ 53,720
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 60 0.01 $ 25.33 $ 52,680
Legal Services 180 0.02 $ 24.15 $ 50,220


Geographic profile for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of food preparation and serving related occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 1,238,040 74.90 0.94 $ 17.10 $ 35,570
Texas 1,047,310 85.66 1.08 $ 12.48 $ 25,950
Florida 818,970 95.17 1.20 $ 13.68 $ 28,450
New York 546,790 63.07 0.79 $ 17.71 $ 36,830
Ohio 429,370 82.55 1.04 $ 12.63 $ 26,280


Map of location quotient of food preparation and serving related occupations by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 151,290 117.35 1.48 $ 13.15 $ 27,350
Hawaii 57,620 105.06 1.32 $ 17.41 $ 36,200
Montana 47,770 101.60 1.28 $ 12.67 $ 26,350
Oklahoma 153,020 98.23 1.24 $ 11.81 $ 24,550
South Carolina 196,760 95.18 1.20 $ 12.05 $ 25,070


Map of annual mean wages of food preparation and serving related occupations by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 32,260 48.73 0.61 $ 20.12 $ 41,840
Washington 244,570 76.29 0.96 $ 18.38 $ 38,230
New York 546,790 63.07 0.79 $ 17.71 $ 36,830
Hawaii 57,620 105.06 1.32 $ 17.41 $ 36,200
Massachusetts 235,130 69.27 0.87 $ 17.27 $ 35,910



Map of employment of food preparation and serving related occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 508,810 58.63 0.74 $ 17.90 $ 37,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 448,780 78.46 0.99 $ 17.04 $ 35,430
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 298,600 70.54 0.89 $ 14.12 $ 29,360
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 292,540 81.51 1.03 $ 12.88 $ 26,790
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 249,470 86.11 1.08 $ 12.92 $ 26,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 211,820 81.85 1.03 $ 12.93 $ 26,890
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 208,490 85.01 1.07 $ 14.09 $ 29,300
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 197,140 67.22 0.85 $ 16.36 $ 34,030
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 180,530 68.00 0.86 $ 14.32 $ 29,780
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 172,150 81.33 1.02 $ 16.73 $ 34,790


Map of location quotient of food preparation and serving related occupations by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 27,800 171.33 2.15 $ 11.69 $ 24,300
Ocean City, NJ 6,600 169.00 2.13 $ 15.41 $ 32,060
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 11,710 156.44 1.97 $ 12.53 $ 26,050
Flagstaff, AZ 8,770 151.68 1.91 $ 16.89 $ 35,130
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 11,160 150.00 1.89 $ 11.62 $ 24,170
Jacksonville, NC 7,160 148.85 1.87 $ 11.22 $ 23,340
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 16,880 147.83 1.86 $ 13.98 $ 29,090
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 9,360 146.03 1.84 $ 19.43 $ 40,420
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 20,420 139.54 1.76 $ 15.32 $ 31,870
Brunswick, GA 5,590 138.05 1.74 $ 11.76 $ 24,460