Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary: $47,462 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 27,660 food cooking machine operators and tenders nationally earn a mean of $47,462. Employment in the series shown fell about 25% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,007 |
| 25th percentile | $38,505 |
| Median (50th) | $45,882 |
| 75th percentile | $49,134 |
| 90th percentile | $60,912 |
What education do you need?
For Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders, 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 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 Workforce in 2023
The Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,462 Average Wage
In 2023, Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earned an average of $47,462.
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.
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: 1,380 employees, $47,985 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 360 employees, $41,439 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 270 employees, $45,105 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 190 employees, $48,762 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 150 employees, $67,129 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 130 employees, $51,135 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 100 employees, $47,554 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 80 employees, $46,764 avg wage
- Vallejo MSA: 60 employees, $45,174 avg wage
- Merced MSA: 40 employees, $48,364 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 workforce of Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in 2023 was 27,660 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders was $47,462 in 2023.
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.