Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary: $40,550 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 27,660 food cooking machine operators and tenders work nationally, and $40,550 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 25% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.9% annual decline.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about food cooking machine operators and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-3093.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 27,660 workers.
What does a food cooking machine operators and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, 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 cooking machine operators and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $40,550 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $47,462 — 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 | $37,007 |
| 25th percentile | $38,505 |
| Median (50th) | $45,882 |
| 75th percentile | $49,134 |
| 90th percentile | $60,912 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Food Production, Administration and Management, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is food cooking machine operators and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -30.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -51.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 27,660.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do food cooking machine operators and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 27,660 | 20.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 27,660 | 20.2% |
| Manufacturing | 22,480 | 16.5% |
| Food Manufacturing | 22,330 | 16.4% |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 5,750 | 4.2% |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 5,700 | 4.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 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 Batchmakers | 171,660 | $40,790 |
| 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 |
| 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 Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
27,660 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders shrank from 23,460 in 2009 to 7,440 in 2025 (68.3%).
Historical employment for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 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
$40,550 Median pay (BLS national)
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earn $40,550 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 Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-6.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,196 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -30.2%
3,629 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -51.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
35.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
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:
- TX: 2,390 employees, $33,750 avg wage
- CA: 2,340 employees, $46,260 avg wage
- TN: 1,730 employees, $44,590 avg wage
- PA: 1,350 employees, $41,390 avg wage
- OH: 1,330 employees, $41,530 avg wage
- WI: 1,050 employees, $44,680 avg wage
- IA: 1,000 employees, $46,500 avg wage
- NY: 960 employees, $46,020 avg wage
- IL: 920 employees, $44,270 avg wage
- FL: 880 employees, $35,940 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 830 employees, $44,670 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 810 employees, $41,990 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 560 employees, $38,670 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 530 employees, $35,670 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 500 employees, $43,830 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 500 employees, $40,670 avg wage
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 490 employees, $31,520 avg wage
- Boise City, ID: 450 employees, $50,120 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 400 employees, $41,380 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 360 employees, $40,390 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is about 27,660 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
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 Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Skills
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders include Production and Processing, Food Production, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders include Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
About
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earn $40,550 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-3093 - Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $47,462.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 27,660 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.9%, 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.