First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary: $51,586 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 1,187,460 first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers nationally earn a mean of $51,586. Projections imply about 2.4% annual growth; CA accounts for about 117,250 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 35-1012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,187,460 workers.
What does a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $42,010 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $51,586 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,887 |
| 25th percentile | $40,685 |
| Median (50th) | $47,452 |
| 75th percentile | $58,765 |
| 90th percentile | $73,625 |
What education do you need?
For First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Coordination, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Instructing, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, Production and Processing, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 12.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 26.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 1,187,460.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 1,187,460 | 18.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 1,139,440 | 17.9% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,010,610 | 15.9% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 982,700 | 15.4% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 909,140 | 14.3% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 291,090 | 4.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Food Preparation Workers | 888,770 | $34,220 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 89,580 | $34,830 |
| Food Batchmakers | 171,660 | $40,790 |
| Driver/Sales Workers | 417,420 | $37,130 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 19,500 | $42,730 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 27,660 | $40,550 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,187,460 Workforce in 2023
The First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$51,586 Average Wage
In 2023, First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers earned an average of $51,586.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Salary distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
558,364 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 12.5%
628,189 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 26.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 117,250 employees, $51,562 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 29,430 employees, $52,076 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 16,090 employees, $47,421 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 13,770 employees, $48,665 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 11,780 employees, $52,182 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 7,020 employees, $56,518 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 6,730 employees, $51,185 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 5,950 employees, $58,743 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 5,510 employees, $58,939 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 3,080 employees, $47,267 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 2,930 employees, $48,347 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in 2023 was 1,187,460 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers workers.
Education level distribution for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Skills
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Coordination, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Active Listening.
Required skills for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources.
Knowledge areas required for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Speech Recognition.
Required abilities for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
Daily Activities
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.
About
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
The average yearly wage for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers was $51,586 in 2023.
SOC Code
35-1012 - First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers reports an average salary of $51,586.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,187,460 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.