Food Batchmakers Salary: $40,790 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 171,660 food batchmakers work nationally, and $40,790 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.1% annual decline.
Food Batchmakers: what the data shows
Common questions about food batchmakers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a food batchmakers?
Food Batchmakers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-3092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 171,660 workers.
What does a food batchmakers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Controlling Machines and Processes, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a food batchmakers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $40,790 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $44,127 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,406 |
| 25th percentile | $37,643 |
| Median (50th) | $41,152 |
| 75th percentile | $48,180 |
| 90th percentile | $58,357 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Operation and Control, Speaking, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Food Production, Production and Processing, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is food batchmakers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -10.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -19.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 171,660.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do food batchmakerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 171,660 | 19.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 171,640 | 19.8% |
| Manufacturing | 145,060 | 16.8% |
| Food Manufacturing | 142,000 | 16.4% |
| Other Food Manufacturing | 30,470 | 3.5% |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 27,250 | 3.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Food Batchmakers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 26,870 | $35,430 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 888,770 | $34,220 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 19,500 | $42,730 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 14,370 | $85,310 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 27,660 | $40,550 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,187,460 | $42,010 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 89,580 | $34,830 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Food Batchmakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
171,660 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Food Batchmakers shrank from 64,100 in 2009 to 45,580 in 2025 (28.9%).
Historical employment for Food Batchmakers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$40,790 Median pay (BLS national)
Food Batchmakers earn $40,790 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Food Batchmakers.
Salary distribution for Food Batchmakers.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
40,973 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -10.1%
36,831 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -19.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Food Batchmakers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Food Batchmakers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Food Batchmakers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Food Batchmakers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Food Batchmakers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Food Batchmakers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- WI: 18,610 employees, $46,790 avg wage
- TX: 13,870 employees, $34,460 avg wage
- IL: 13,400 employees, $48,820 avg wage
- CA: 11,530 employees, $43,010 avg wage
- OH: 8,390 employees, $42,100 avg wage
- NY: 8,140 employees, $40,400 avg wage
- PA: 7,460 employees, $42,310 avg wage
- MN: 5,930 employees, $42,100 avg wage
- MA: 5,660 employees, $39,570 avg wage
- IN: 5,100 employees, $44,380 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Food Batchmakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 9,500 employees, $49,080 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 7,200 employees, $39,910 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 4,200 employees, $40,700 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,160 employees, $41,140 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,130 employees, $39,010 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,460 employees, $30,450 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 3,390 employees, $43,590 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,590 employees, $39,650 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 2,290 employees, $46,660 avg wage
- Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: 1,990 employees, $45,850 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Food Batchmakers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Food Batchmakers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Food Batchmakers is about 171,660 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Food Batchmakers.
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 Food Batchmakers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Food Batchmakers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Food Batchmakers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Food Batchmakers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Food Batchmakers workers.
Education level distribution for Food Batchmakers.
Skills
Food Batchmakers need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Operation and Control, Speaking.
Required skills for Food Batchmakers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Food Batchmakers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Food Batchmakers include Public Safety and Security, Food Production, Production and Processing, Education and Training, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Food Batchmakers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Food Batchmakers include Near Vision, Information Ordering, Oral Comprehension, Control Precision, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Food Batchmakers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Food Batchmakers.
Daily Activities
Food Batchmakers spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Controlling Machines and Processes, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Food Batchmakers.
About
Food Batchmakers
Food Batchmakers earn $40,790 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-3092 - Food Batchmakers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Food Batchmakers reports an average salary of $44,127.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 171,660 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.1%, 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.