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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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, 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 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)
11,262,850 0.2 % $ 13.30 $ 27,650 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 8.78 $ 9.80 $ 12.26 $ 14.91 $ 19.05
Annual Wage (2) $ 18,260 $ 20,380 $ 25,500 $ 31,020 $ 39,630


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 8,078,870 89.55 $ 12.90 $ 26,830
Special Food Services 447,500 80.18 $ 14.51 $ 30,180
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 401,770 13.82 $ 13.93 $ 28,980
Traveler Accommodation 366,310 24.17 $ 15.82 $ 32,900
Elementary and Secondary Schools 334,190 4.05 $ 13.78 $ 28,660

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 8,078,870 89.55 $ 12.90 $ 26,830
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 242,770 85.57 $ 13.30 $ 27,660
Special Food Services 447,500 80.18 $ 14.51 $ 30,180
Rooming and Boarding Houses 3,200 31.97 $ 13.84 $ 28,780
Traveler Accommodation 366,310 24.17 $ 15.82 $ 32,900

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, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) 70 0.01 $ 21.95 $ 45,660
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 12,160 0.58 $ 21.52 $ 44,760
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 680 1.86 $ 21.07 $ 43,830
Plastics Product Manufacturing (8) (8) $ 21.00 $ 43,680
Legal Services 150 0.01 $ 20.82 $ 43,310


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.





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 1,328,970 80.88 1.00 $ 15.93 $ 33,140
Texas 1,047,300 86.54 1.07 $ 11.53 $ 23,980
Florida 820,890 97.24 1.20 $ 12.85 $ 26,720
New York 572,430 65.86 0.81 $ 16.81 $ 34,970
Ohio 423,620 82.46 1.02 $ 11.82 $ 24,590




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 144,830 115.78 1.43 $ 13.26 $ 27,580
Hawaii 66,100 115.16 1.42 $ 19.61 $ 40,790
Montana 47,380 104.04 1.28 $ 12.19 $ 25,350
Oklahoma 153,790 98.41 1.22 $ 11.03 $ 22,940
Florida 820,890 97.24 1.20 $ 12.85 $ 26,720




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 41,810 60.84 0.75 $ 20.15 $ 41,910
Hawaii 66,100 115.16 1.42 $ 19.61 $ 40,790
Washington 254,380 79.61 0.98 $ 17.32 $ 36,030
New York 572,430 65.86 0.81 $ 16.81 $ 34,970
Massachusetts 240,700 71.85 0.89 $ 16.21 $ 33,720





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 549,100 62.15 0.77 $ 16.77 $ 34,880
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 482,270 82.83 1.02 $ 15.45 $ 32,140
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 318,650 73.05 0.90 $ 12.83 $ 26,680
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 281,530 78.45 0.97 $ 11.61 $ 24,160
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 252,880 85.18 1.05 $ 11.63 $ 24,190
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 217,570 86.76 1.07 $ 13.01 $ 27,060
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 208,110 79.04 0.98 $ 11.59 $ 24,100
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 200,010 66.18 0.82 $ 15.18 $ 31,570
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 185,690 68.86 0.85 $ 13.54 $ 28,160
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 176,220 67.73 0.84 $ 16.25 $ 33,800




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 25,790 166.82 2.06 $ 11.15 $ 23,190
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 11,550 155.38 1.92 $ 11.91 $ 24,770
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 10,390 155.11 1.92 $ 21.72 $ 45,180
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 11,150 152.55 1.88 $ 11.18 $ 23,250
Flagstaff, AZ 8,540 150.04 1.85 $ 15.18 $ 31,570
Brunswick, GA 5,700 144.33 1.78 $ 11.49 $ 23,910
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 15,430 141.24 1.74 $ 13.20 $ 27,460
Ocean City, NJ 4,910 140.75 1.74 $ 14.30 $ 29,740
Jacksonville, NC 6,330 138.95 1.72 $ 10.94 $ 22,750
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 20,200 138.53 1.71 $ 15.62 $ 32,500




Top paying metropolitan areas for 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 10,390 155.11 1.92 $ 21.72 $ 45,180
Urban Honolulu, HI 43,580 105.14 1.30 $ 19.36 $ 40,270
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 173,710 74.53 0.92 $ 18.43 $ 38,340
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 144,820 74.04 0.91 $ 18.20 $ 37,860
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 66,560 60.35 0.75 $ 17.41 $ 36,210
Napa, CA 7,520 108.78 1.34 $ 17.29 $ 35,970
Ithaca, NY 3,600 78.39 0.97 $ 16.97 $ 35,290
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 9,500 104.39 1.29 $ 16.89 $ 35,120
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 4,820 104.71 1.29 $ 16.81 $ 34,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 549,100 62.15 0.77 $ 16.77 $ 34,880

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 30,420 80.40 0.99 $ 10.53 $ 21,910
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 26,900 86.26 1.07 $ 11.56 $ 24,050
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 23,560 87.55 1.08 $ 10.58 $ 22,010
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 20,730 84.39 1.04 $ 10.42 $ 21,670
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 20,070 81.57 1.01 $ 12.58 $ 26,170

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 11,400 155.22 1.92 $ 13.86 $ 28,820
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 17,110 136.43 1.68 $ 10.97 $ 22,820
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 9,000 131.88 1.63 $ 11.82 $ 24,580
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 12,130 131.10 1.62 $ 18.68 $ 38,860
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 14,270 124.68 1.54 $ 17.07 $ 35,500

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 12,130 131.10 1.62 $ 18.68 $ 38,860
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 14,270 124.68 1.54 $ 17.07 $ 35,500
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 12,100 102.76 1.27 $ 16.75 $ 34,830
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 6,010 106.64 1.32 $ 16.56 $ 34,450
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 5,770 57.66 0.71 $ 16.50 $ 34,330


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 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 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