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Assist in the provision of food service and nutritional programs, under the supervision of a dietitian. May plan and produce meals based on established guidelines, teach principles of food and nutrition, or counsel individuals.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33,370 | 3.0 % | $14.24 | $29,610 | 0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $9.13 | $10.51 | $12.74 | $16.82 | $22.10 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $18,990 | $21,860 | $26,500 | $34,980 | $45,970 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 12,490 | 0.23 | $15.67 | $32,590 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 10,100 | 0.62 | $12.50 | $25,990 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 3,090 | 0.34 | $11.84 | $24,620 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 1,640 | 0.03 | $15.85 | $32,980 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 970 | 0.01 | $12.68 | $26,370 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 10,100 | 0.62 | $12.50 | $25,990 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 3,090 | 0.34 | $11.84 | $24,620 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 720 | 0.28 | $15.40 | $32,020 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 12,490 | 0.23 | $15.67 | $32,590 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | 310 | 0.13 | $14.92 | $31,030 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 160 | 0.01 | $18.73 | $38,950 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | 30 | 0.01 | $18.15 | $37,750 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 430 | 0.02 | $17.25 | $35,890 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 290 | 0.03 | $16.70 | $34,740 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) | 1,640 | 0.03 | $15.85 | $32,980 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 4,850 | 0.29 | 1.24 | $16.55 | $34,430 |
| Illinois | 4,600 | 0.78 | 3.31 | $11.69 | $24,320 |
| Texas | 3,480 | 0.29 | 1.25 | $12.65 | $26,310 |
| Massachusetts | 1,970 | 0.56 | 2.39 | $17.66 | $36,730 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,420 | 0.25 | 1.05 | $15.04 | $31,280 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 440 | 1.04 | 4.46 | $14.35 | $29,840 |
| Illinois | 4,600 | 0.78 | 3.31 | $11.69 | $24,320 |
| Massachusetts | 1,970 | 0.56 | 2.39 | $17.66 | $36,730 |
| Utah | 770 | 0.54 | 2.32 | $12.51 | $26,020 |
| West Virginia | 330 | 0.49 | 2.07 | $11.71 | $24,350 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 120 | 0.06 | 0.27 | $21.05 | $43,790 |
| Rhode Island | 70 | 0.15 | 0.62 | $21.04 | $43,770 |
| New York | 900 | 0.10 | 0.42 | $20.52 | $42,680 |
| Alaska | 50 | 0.15 | 0.64 | $19.13 | $39,790 |
| Alabama | 140 | 0.08 | 0.32 | $18.15 | $37,760 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,690 | 0.46 | 1.98 | $12.86 | $26,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,410 | 0.32 | 1.36 | $15.01 | $31,230 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 1,060 | 0.54 | 2.29 | $13.34 | $27,740 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 830 | 0.45 | 1.94 | $18.06 | $37,570 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 800 | 0.27 | 1.17 | $13.10 | $27,240 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 540 | 0.22 | 0.92 | $12.50 | $26,010 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 530 | 0.51 | 2.20 | $15.74 | $32,740 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 530 | 0.08 | 0.34 | $20.72 | $43,100 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 500 | 0.72 | 3.06 | $12.91 | $26,850 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 440 | 0.32 | 1.38 | $12.14 | $25,260 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, IL | 120 | 2.49 | 10.65 | $9.80 | $20,380 |
| Bismarck, ND | 110 | 1.54 | 6.58 | $15.66 | $32,570 |
| Peoria, IL | 260 | 1.50 | 6.40 | $10.44 | $21,710 |
| Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury Town, MA-NH NECTA Division | 100 | 1.48 | 6.34 | $15.31 | $31,840 |
| Bloomington, IL | 110 | 1.25 | 5.33 | $10.52 | $21,880 |
| Rockford, IL | 180 | 1.22 | 5.22 | $11.69 | $24,320 |
| Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division | 260 | 1.03 | 4.41 | $10.62 | $22,090 |
| Kankakee, IL | 40 | 1.00 | 4.27 | $10.20 | $21,210 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 260 | 0.93 | 3.96 | $24.42 | $50,780 |
| Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division | 140 | 0.87 | 3.71 | $15.02 | $31,240 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester, MA-CT | 260 | 0.93 | 3.96 | $24.42 | $50,780 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 210 | 0.19 | 0.82 | $24.09 | $50,120 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division | 110 | 0.09 | 0.38 | $23.80 | $49,500 |
| Syracuse, NY | 30 | 0.11 | 0.47 | $21.62 | $44,970 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 100 | 0.08 | 0.36 | $20.73 | $43,110 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 530 | 0.08 | 0.34 | $20.72 | $43,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 300 | 0.27 | 1.16 | $20.21 | $42,030 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 40 | 0.29 | 1.22 | $20.20 | $42,010 |
| Salinas, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $20.09 | $41,780 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $19.69 | $40,950 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 340 | 3.82 | 16.32 | $10.82 | $22,510 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 280 | 1.66 | 7.08 | $10.21 | $21,240 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 240 | 0.89 | 3.79 | $10.30 | $21,420 |
| Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 210 | 1.09 | 4.67 | $11.72 | $24,380 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.37 | 5.87 | $9.30 | $19,340 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 340 | 3.82 | 16.32 | $10.82 | $22,510 |
| Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 130 | 2.07 | 8.85 | $14.26 | $29,660 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 280 | 1.66 | 7.08 | $10.21 | $21,240 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.37 | 5.87 | $9.30 | $19,340 |
| Northwest Florida nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 1.31 | 5.59 | $11.68 | $24,290 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.42 | 1.79 | $18.86 | $39,220 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 0.51 | 2.18 | $17.87 | $37,160 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.16 | 0.68 | $15.91 | $33,080 |
| East Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.14 | $31,500 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.12 | 0.51 | $14.32 | $29,780 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018