Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
35-0000 Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations (Major Group)
This major group comprises the following occupations:
Chefs and Head Cooks ;
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers ;
Cooks, Fast Food ;
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria ;
Cooks, Private Household ;
Cooks, Restaurant ;
Cooks, Short Order ;
Cooks, All Other ;
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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation
National estimates for this occupation:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this major group:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 13,494,590 |
0.2 % |
$12.82 |
$26,670 |
0.2 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this major group:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$8.62 |
$9.56 |
$11.65 |
$14.31 |
$18.59 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$17,940 |
$19,890 |
$24,220 |
$29,770 |
$38,660 |
Industry profile for this occupation:
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) |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
9,728,540 |
89.94 |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Special Food Services |
589,260 |
80.24 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Traveler Accommodation |
523,490 |
25.49 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
393,220 |
13.51 |
$13.25 |
$27,560 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
358,000 |
4.16 |
$13.31 |
$27,670 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
9,728,540 |
89.94 |
$12.46 |
$25,910 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) |
339,700 |
85.35 |
$12.86 |
$26,760 |
| Special Food Services |
589,260 |
80.24 |
$13.97 |
$29,050 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses |
3,830 |
32.80 |
$13.05 |
$27,150 |
| Traveler Accommodation |
523,490 |
25.49 |
$15.34 |
$31,900 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services |
40 |
0.01 |
$20.49 |
$42,630 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation |
810 |
2.09 |
$20.37 |
$42,370 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) |
12,310 |
0.61 |
$20.14 |
$41,890 |
| Office Administrative Services |
(8) |
(8) |
$20.03 |
$41,660 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers |
70 |
0.02 |
$19.60 |
$40,760 |
Geographic profile for this occupation:
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 |
1,627,490 |
93.63 |
1.02 |
$14.77 |
$30,720 |
| Texas |
1,175,750 |
94.58 |
1.03 |
$11.47 |
$23,860 |
| Florida |
950,180 |
108.05 |
1.18 |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| New York |
768,040 |
80.65 |
0.88 |
$16.00 |
$33,290 |
| Illinois |
516,360 |
85.69 |
0.93 |
$12.22 |
$25,420 |
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) |
| Nevada |
189,200 |
135.85 |
1.48 |
$12.95 |
$26,940 |
| Hawaii |
85,430 |
134.42 |
1.46 |
$19.08 |
$39,690 |
| Montana |
51,620 |
110.31 |
1.20 |
$11.86 |
$24,670 |
| Florida |
950,180 |
108.05 |
1.18 |
$12.50 |
$26,000 |
| South Carolina |
216,890 |
102.90 |
1.12 |
$10.87 |
$22,610 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Hawaii |
85,430 |
134.42 |
1.46 |
$19.08 |
$39,690 |
| District of Columbia |
60,300 |
83.34 |
0.91 |
$18.92 |
$39,350 |
| Washington |
299,950 |
90.39 |
0.98 |
$16.33 |
$33,970 |
| New York |
768,040 |
80.65 |
0.88 |
$16.00 |
$33,290 |
| Massachusetts |
312,680 |
86.39 |
0.94 |
$15.54 |
$32,320 |
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) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
734,600 |
76.08 |
0.83 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
592,710 |
94.99 |
1.03 |
$14.36 |
$29,860 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
395,060 |
84.48 |
0.92 |
$12.49 |
$25,980 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
323,080 |
88.35 |
0.96 |
$11.43 |
$23,770 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
280,000 |
91.74 |
1.00 |
$11.76 |
$24,470 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
258,500 |
97.83 |
1.06 |
$12.66 |
$26,340 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
256,020 |
80.53 |
0.88 |
$14.63 |
$30,420 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
249,650 |
90.99 |
0.99 |
$11.19 |
$23,270 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
237,690 |
82.63 |
0.90 |
$12.89 |
$26,800 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
231,990 |
82.91 |
0.90 |
$15.63 |
$32,500 |
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) |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI |
14,530 |
190.37 |
2.07 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC |
30,190 |
180.36 |
1.96 |
$11.19 |
$23,260 |
| Ocean City, NJ |
6,870 |
173.22 |
1.89 |
$13.23 |
$27,520 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL |
12,630 |
169.54 |
1.85 |
$10.93 |
$22,740 |
| Flagstaff, AZ |
10,420 |
167.48 |
1.82 |
$13.98 |
$29,070 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC |
12,810 |
163.03 |
1.77 |
$11.45 |
$23,810 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ |
20,880 |
158.27 |
1.72 |
$12.90 |
$26,830 |
| Jacksonville, NC |
7,420 |
157.07 |
1.71 |
$10.39 |
$21,600 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL |
17,100 |
151.97 |
1.65 |
$12.93 |
$26,900 |
| Lawrence, KS |
7,380 |
150.85 |
1.64 |
$10.97 |
$22,820 |
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) |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI |
14,530 |
190.37 |
2.07 |
$21.72 |
$45,180 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
55,240 |
120.72 |
1.31 |
$18.45 |
$38,370 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
173,210 |
85.71 |
0.93 |
$17.38 |
$36,140 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
221,270 |
89.51 |
0.97 |
$17.19 |
$35,750 |
| Kingston, NY |
6,470 |
107.40 |
1.17 |
$16.46 |
$34,230 |
| Napa, CA |
10,230 |
132.35 |
1.44 |
$16.32 |
$33,940 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
5,660 |
113.13 |
1.23 |
$16.05 |
$33,380 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
734,600 |
76.08 |
0.83 |
$15.94 |
$33,150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
84,570 |
74.13 |
0.81 |
$15.88 |
$33,020 |
| Barnstable Town, MA |
13,600 |
130.62 |
1.42 |
$15.82 |
$32,910 |
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) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
33,870 |
85.96 |
0.94 |
$10.14 |
$21,100 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) |
32,140 |
96.19 |
1.05 |
$11.02 |
$22,920 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
25,040 |
91.69 |
1.00 |
$11.85 |
$24,640 |
| North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area |
25,030 |
90.47 |
0.98 |
$10.61 |
$22,060 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
23,510 |
90.44 |
0.98 |
$10.26 |
$21,330 |
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 Florida nonmetropolitan area |
12,660 |
162.46 |
1.77 |
$13.62 |
$28,330 |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area |
15,660 |
154.13 |
1.68 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
18,920 |
140.28 |
1.53 |
$10.67 |
$22,200 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area |
10,470 |
139.41 |
1.52 |
$11.03 |
$22,930 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
17,040 |
138.59 |
1.51 |
$15.88 |
$33,030 |
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) |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area |
15,660 |
154.13 |
1.68 |
$18.87 |
$39,260 |
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area |
6,710 |
93.57 |
1.02 |
$15.93 |
$33,130 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area |
17,040 |
138.59 |
1.51 |
$15.88 |
$33,030 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area |
7,550 |
124.19 |
1.35 |
$15.48 |
$32,200 |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area |
7,370 |
67.99 |
0.74 |
$15.40 |
$32,020 |
About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
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 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 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2019 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020
United States Department of Labor
