Food preparation workers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

889k

Average Age

34.5

Estimated Job Growth

−3.42%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$19,951

Average Male Salary

$20,617

Average Female Salary

$19,464

About

Food preparation workers are most often employed by the Restaurants & Food Services industry. The average yearly wage for Food preparation workers was $19,951 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Food preparation workers are Maui, Kalawao & Kauai Counties PUMA, HI, Hernando County PUMA, FL, and Clark County (Central)--Paradise (Northwest) & Winchester PUMA, NV. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Food preparation workers are NYC-Brooklyn Community District 7--Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace PUMA, NY, Las Vegas City (Southeast) PUMA, NV, and Riverside County (Central)--Cathedral City, Palm Springs & Rancho Mirage Cities PUMA, CA.

Photo by Peter Burka

Service Occupations Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Food preparation workers workforce. Food preparation workers workforce in 2024 was 889,170 people, of which 57.8% were women and 42.2% were men. Food preparation workers are paid most in NYC-Bronx Community District 4--Highbridge & Concourse PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in NYC-Brooklyn Community District 7--Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

375,533

Male Workforce

± 15k

513,637

Female Workforce

± 17.6k

The Food preparation workers workforce in 2024 was 889,170 people (57.8% women and 42.2% men). This implies an average annual growth of 2.05% between 2014 (871,315) and 2024 (889,170).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Food preparation workers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Nevada ($26,028), New York ($25,420), and District of Columbia ($24,826).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$19,951

AVERAGE WAGE

#472 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Food preparation workers earned an average of $19,951, $49,927 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Food preparation workers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.427

WAGE GINI

In 2024, Food preparation workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.427, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Food preparation workers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Food preparation workers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Food preparation workers and on wages for those in the field. Restaurants & Food Services is the industry that employs the most Food preparation workers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Food preparation workers, by average wage, is Executive offices & legislative bodies ($75,504).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

889k

2024 Workforce

± 23,084

−1.14%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 3.7%

This graphic shows the share of Food preparation workers employed by various industries. Restaurants & Food Services employs the largest share of Food preparation workers at 70.7%, followed by Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores with 18.9% and Elementary & secondary schools with 6.08%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Food preparation workers in the US. The workforce of Food preparation workers in 2024 was 889,170 people, with 57.8% woman, and 42.2% men. The average age of male Food preparation workers in the workforce is 30.5 and of female Food preparation workers is 37.5, and the most common race/ethnicity for Food preparation workers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Food preparation workers in 2024 was 889,170 people, with 57.8% woman, and 42.2% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 16 to 19 years (207,552 people), 20 to 24 years (162,103 people), and 25 to 29 years (81,267 people). Among them they concentrated 50.7% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 28.6% of Food preparation workers workers were Hispanic and 71.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (57.7%), Puerto Rican (10.6)%, and Salvadoran (6.27)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 51.7% of the Food preparation workers workforce were White, of which 57.8% were women and 42.2% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (15.9%) and Black (12.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Food preparation workers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Food preparation workers is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Personal & Culinary Services.

Among the necessary skills for Food preparation workers, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Food preparation workers need more than the average amount of Quality Control Analysis.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Food preparation workers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (12,583 people), Education (5,796 people), and Visual & Performing Arts (4,157 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Food preparation workers workers were High School or Equivalent (345,513 people), Secondary Education (196,336 people), and Some college (184,218 people).

The graphic shows the Food preparation workers workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Food preparation workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food preparation workers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Time Management, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Food Preparation Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Food Preparation Workers are expected to see a growth of −3.42% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−3.42%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Food preparation workers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.