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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

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)
13,247,870 0.2 % $ 16.58 $ 34,490 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 10.66 $ 13.15 $ 15.50 $ 17.92 $ 22.78
Annual Wage (2) $ 22,160 $ 27,350 $ 32,240 $ 37,280 $ 47,390

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 9,671,160 88.97 $ 16.21 $ 33,720
Special Food Services 528,340 73.32 $ 17.88 $ 37,200
Traveler Accommodation 439,380 23.74 $ 19.40 $ 40,340
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) 396,820 13.07 $ 16.72 $ 34,770
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 343,620 83.42 $ 17.08 $ 35,530

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 9,671,160 88.97 $ 16.21 $ 33,720
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 343,620 83.42 $ 17.08 $ 35,530
Special Food Services 528,340 73.32 $ 17.88 $ 37,200
Beverage Manufacturing 83,670 26.40 $ 18.54 $ 38,550
Traveler Accommodation 439,380 23.74 $ 19.40 $ 40,340

Top paying industries for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 40 0.01 $ 35.49 $ 73,830
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (8) (8) $ 33.13 $ 68,910
Scientific Research and Development Services 190 0.02 $ 32.04 $ 66,630
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 100 0.01 $ 31.44 $ 65,400
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services 170 0.04 $ 30.49 $ 63,410

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 2023


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 1,600,160 89.17 1.02 $ 19.37 $ 40,300
Texas 1,217,760 89.82 1.03 $ 14.30 $ 29,730
Florida 971,380 101.52 1.16 $ 16.42 $ 34,160
New York 715,950 76.22 0.87 $ 20.56 $ 42,760
Illinois 483,960 80.50 0.92 $ 16.92 $ 35,190


Map of location quotient of food preparation and serving related occupations by state, May 2023


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)
Hawaii 81,920 132.77 1.52 $ 19.56 $ 40,680
Nevada 195,840 132.16 1.51 $ 16.27 $ 33,850
Montana 52,590 104.81 1.20 $ 14.30 $ 29,740
Florida 971,380 101.52 1.16 $ 16.42 $ 34,160
Rhode Island 49,060 100.49 1.15 $ 18.26 $ 37,970


Map of annual mean wages of food preparation and serving related occupations by state, May 2023


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 55,000 78.37 0.90 $ 22.26 $ 46,300
Washington 294,820 84.34 0.97 $ 21.64 $ 45,000
Vermont 25,780 85.72 0.98 $ 21.01 $ 43,710
New York 715,950 76.22 0.87 $ 20.56 $ 42,760
Hawaii 81,920 132.77 1.52 $ 19.56 $ 40,680



Map of employment of food preparation and serving related occupations by area, May 2023


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 700,430 73.77 0.85 $ 21.00 $ 43,690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 570,740 92.27 1.06 $ 19.10 $ 39,730
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 368,000 81.65 0.94 $ 17.27 $ 35,910
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 341,240 86.03 0.99 $ 15.19 $ 31,590
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 288,170 90.63 1.04 $ 14.14 $ 29,400
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 261,940 96.25 1.10 $ 16.96 $ 35,280
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 244,010 78.92 0.90 $ 19.26 $ 40,060
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 242,360 86.01 0.99 $ 14.82 $ 30,830
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 223,850 79.11 0.91 $ 16.62 $ 34,580
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 212,080 76.79 0.88 $ 19.62 $ 40,820


Map of location quotient of food preparation and serving related occupations by area, May 2023


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)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 13,750 181.47 2.08 $ 22.69 $ 47,200
Ocean City, NJ 7,190 178.68 2.05 $ 18.84 $ 39,180
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 31,680 177.21 2.03 $ 13.06 $ 27,160
Flagstaff, AZ 10,390 162.66 1.86 $ 18.35 $ 38,180
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 12,790 158.86 1.82 $ 14.04 $ 29,190
Jacksonville, NC 7,880 152.53 1.75 $ 12.96 $ 26,950
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 160,280 147.95 1.70 $ 16.50 $ 34,330
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 17,850 145.72 1.67 $ 16.31 $ 33,930
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 11,830 145.21 1.66 $ 12.91 $ 26,850
Brunswick, GA 6,390 144.38 1.65 $ 14.08 $ 29,290