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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 40 (7) $ 18.26 $ 37,990
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (8) (8) $ 17.53 $ 36,460
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,870 0.09 $ 16.64 $ 34,600
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 60 0.03 $ 16.59 $ 34,520
Spectator Sports (8) (8) $ 15.71 $ 32,670


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:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 600 5.26 0.92 $ 18.05 $ 37,540
Lower Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 2.27 0.40 $ 17.74 $ 36,900
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 1,080 10.76 1.89 $ 16.52 $ 34,350
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 530 4.52 0.79 $ 16.28 $ 33,860
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 580 6.02 1.05 $ 15.69 $ 32,640


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