Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
35-2021 Food Preparation Workers
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
National estimates for Food Preparation Workers
Industry profile for Food Preparation Workers
Geographic profile for Food Preparation Workers
National estimates for Food Preparation Workers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Food Preparation Workers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 793,590 |
1.5 % |
$ 12.90 |
$ 26,820 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Food Preparation Workers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 8.88 |
$ 10.29 |
$ 12.53 |
$ 14.83 |
$ 17.79 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 18,460 |
$ 21,400 |
$ 26,070 |
$ 30,850 |
$ 37,000 |
Industry profile for Food Preparation Workers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Food Preparation Workers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Food Preparation Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Food Preparation Workers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
388,630 |
4.31 |
$ 12.20 |
$ 25,380 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
191,010 |
6.57 |
$ 13.38 |
$ 27,830 |
| Special Food Services |
40,280 |
7.22 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,430 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
22,560 |
0.27 |
$ 14.94 |
$ 31,070 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) |
17,610 |
1.15 |
$ 12.24 |
$ 25,450 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Food Preparation Workers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Special Food Services |
40,280 |
7.22 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,430 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
191,010 |
6.57 |
$ 13.38 |
$ 27,830 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
388,630 |
4.31 |
$ 12.20 |
$ 25,380 |
| Vending Machine Operators |
1,330 |
3.94 |
$ 12.76 |
$ 26,540 |
| Other Food Manufacturing |
6,370 |
2.80 |
$ 14.57 |
$ 30,310 |
Top paying industries for Food Preparation Workers:
Geographic profile for Food Preparation Workers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Food Preparation Workers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Food Preparation Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Food Preparation Workers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
90,230 |
5.49 |
0.96 |
$ 15.23 |
$ 31,680 |
| Florida |
61,930 |
7.34 |
1.29 |
$ 12.73 |
$ 26,470 |
| Texas |
61,340 |
5.07 |
0.89 |
$ 11.89 |
$ 24,740 |
| New York |
46,530 |
5.35 |
0.94 |
$ 15.64 |
$ 32,530 |
| Tennessee |
39,530 |
13.61 |
2.39 |
$ 10.37 |
$ 21,560 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Preparation Workers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Louisiana |
31,430 |
17.45 |
3.06 |
$ 9.30 |
$ 19,340 |
| Hawaii |
7,920 |
13.79 |
2.42 |
$ 15.40 |
$ 32,020 |
| Tennessee |
39,530 |
13.61 |
2.39 |
$ 10.37 |
$ 21,560 |
| Alaska |
3,600 |
12.15 |
2.13 |
$ 15.38 |
$ 31,980 |
| Maine |
6,540 |
11.37 |
1.99 |
$ 14.14 |
$ 29,410 |
Top paying states for Food Preparation Workers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
2,800 |
4.07 |
0.71 |
$ 17.29 |
$ 35,950 |
| Washington |
13,970 |
4.37 |
0.77 |
$ 16.48 |
$ 34,280 |
| Massachusetts |
15,040 |
4.49 |
0.79 |
$ 15.83 |
$ 32,930 |
| New York |
46,530 |
5.35 |
0.94 |
$ 15.64 |
$ 32,530 |
| Hawaii |
7,920 |
13.79 |
2.42 |
$ 15.40 |
$ 32,020 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Food Preparation Workers:
| 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 |
61,770 |
6.99 |
1.23 |
$ 14.99 |
$ 31,180 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
34,580 |
5.94 |
1.04 |
$ 14.53 |
$ 30,210 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
22,860 |
5.24 |
0.92 |
$ 13.63 |
$ 28,360 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
19,730 |
7.49 |
1.31 |
$ 11.67 |
$ 24,270 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
19,350 |
7.71 |
1.35 |
$ 13.13 |
$ 27,300 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
18,750 |
6.32 |
1.11 |
$ 11.51 |
$ 23,950 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
13,140 |
4.35 |
0.76 |
$ 13.99 |
$ 29,100 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN |
12,710 |
13.16 |
2.31 |
$ 11.12 |
$ 23,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
12,010 |
5.15 |
0.90 |
$ 16.74 |
$ 34,820 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
11,480 |
4.26 |
0.75 |
$ 12.49 |
$ 25,980 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Preparation Workers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Lafayette, LA |
4,540 |
24.02 |
4.21 |
$ 9.15 |
$ 19,030 |
| Lake Charles, LA |
2,170 |
21.30 |
3.73 |
$ 9.65 |
$ 20,080 |
| Monroe, LA |
1,540 |
21.27 |
3.73 |
$ 9.14 |
$ 19,010 |
| Hammond, LA |
870 |
20.74 |
3.63 |
$ 8.79 |
$ 18,290 |
| Morristown, TN |
840 |
19.30 |
3.38 |
$ 8.92 |
$ 18,550 |
| Flagstaff, AZ |
1,060 |
18.67 |
3.27 |
$ 13.98 |
$ 29,090 |
| Alexandria, LA |
1,050 |
18.41 |
3.23 |
$ 9.19 |
$ 19,120 |
| Enid, OK |
400 |
17.57 |
3.08 |
$ 9.94 |
$ 20,670 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA |
2,860 |
17.43 |
3.05 |
$ 9.40 |
$ 19,550 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
1,390 |
17.07 |
2.99 |
$ 9.30 |
$ 19,340 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Food Preparation Workers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI |
900 |
13.42 |
2.35 |
$ 17.95 |
$ 37,330 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
620 |
6.81 |
1.19 |
$ 17.36 |
$ 36,120 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
230 |
5.04 |
0.88 |
$ 17.24 |
$ 35,860 |
| Redding, CA |
330 |
5.07 |
0.89 |
$ 17.22 |
$ 35,830 |
| New Haven, CT |
1,970 |
7.30 |
1.28 |
$ 17.00 |
$ 35,350 |
| Napa, CA |
270 |
3.93 |
0.69 |
$ 16.98 |
$ 35,320 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
8,740 |
4.47 |
0.78 |
$ 16.95 |
$ 35,260 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA |
350 |
4.02 |
0.70 |
$ 16.83 |
$ 35,010 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
12,010 |
5.15 |
0.90 |
$ 16.74 |
$ 34,820 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
5,860 |
5.31 |
0.93 |
$ 16.46 |
$ 34,230 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Food Preparation Workers:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
2,770 |
22.12 |
3.88 |
$ 9.97 |
$ 20,740 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area |
2,440 |
13.40 |
2.35 |
$ 13.95 |
$ 29,020 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
2,130 |
6.81 |
1.19 |
$ 10.68 |
$ 22,210 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
1,990 |
16.04 |
2.81 |
$ 9.31 |
$ 19,370 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
1,980 |
18.76 |
3.29 |
$ 9.42 |
$ 19,590 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Preparation Workers:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
2,770 |
22.12 |
3.88 |
$ 9.97 |
$ 20,740 |
| Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area |
1,180 |
19.00 |
3.33 |
$ 9.00 |
$ 18,720 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
1,980 |
18.76 |
3.29 |
$ 9.42 |
$ 19,590 |
| Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area |
1,310 |
17.67 |
3.10 |
$ 9.54 |
$ 19,830 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area |
1,990 |
16.04 |
2.81 |
$ 9.31 |
$ 19,370 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Food Preparation Workers:
About May 2020 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 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.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
