Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other Salary: $34,830 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 89,580 food preparation and serving related workers, all other work nationally, and $34,830 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 11.0% annual growth.
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other: what the data shows
Common questions about food preparation and serving related workers, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a food preparation and serving related workers, all other?
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 35-9099.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 89,580 workers.
How much does a food preparation and serving related workers, all other make?
BLS national median annual wage: $34,830 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $42,135 — 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 | $34,339 |
| 25th percentile | $35,419 |
| Median (50th) | $37,250 |
| 75th percentile | $42,927 |
| 90th percentile | $57,160 |
Is food preparation and serving related workers, all other in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 11.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 68.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 184.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 89,580.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do food preparation and serving related workers, all others work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 89,580 | 17.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 84,820 | 16.6% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 72,730 | 14.2% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 67,470 | 13.2% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 58,880 | 11.5% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 50,510 | 9.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other 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 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1,187,460 | $42,010 |
| 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 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other workforce.
Employment Over Time
89,580 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other grew from 23,720 in 2009 to 126,660 in 2025 (434.0%).
Historical employment for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other 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
$34,830 Median pay (BLS national)
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other earn $34,830 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 Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Salary distribution for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Employment Growth Projections
11.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
213,791 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 68.8%
360,863 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 184.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 11.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
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:
- CA: 31,750 employees, $40,970 avg wage
- FL: 5,400 employees, $34,340 avg wage
- NC: 4,950 employees, $28,820 avg wage
- LA: 4,350 employees, $25,280 avg wage
- TX: 4,340 employees, $30,280 avg wage
- MD: 4,330 employees, $37,980 avg wage
- IL: 4,250 employees, $38,360 avg wage
- NJ: 4,230 employees, $37,440 avg wage
- OH: 3,250 employees, $29,700 avg wage
- CO: 2,090 employees, $39,610 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 12,980 employees, $42,170 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 3,740 employees, $38,320 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 3,670 employees, $43,770 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,590 employees, $37,370 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 3,510 employees, $39,360 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 3,480 employees, $39,570 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,410 employees, $34,880 avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 2,300 employees, $37,060 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,830 employees, $38,650 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 1,790 employees, $43,510 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Diversity
Demographic information on Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other is about 89,580 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
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 Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other workers.
Education level distribution for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Skills
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other need many skills, but most especially .
Required skills for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other include .
Knowledge areas required for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other include .
Required abilities for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
Daily Activities
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other spend their time on activities such as .
Most important work activities for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other.
About
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other earn $34,830 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
35-9099 - Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other reports an average salary of $42,135.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 89,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 11.0%, 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.