How much does a food service worker make?
Answer: A typical food service worker in the United States makes $35,840 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 85,000 people work in this job. Below the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Food service worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,470 | $35,840 | $47,550 | about 85,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $39,080 | about 600 |
| Illinois | $38,880 | about 3,000 |
| Arizona | $37,600 | about 1,000 |
| Maryland | $37,500 | about 4,000 |
| California | $36,910 | about 31,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can vary with experience, location, employer type (restaurant, school, or hospital), and skilled or responsible duties. Longer hours or late shifts can change total pay, and a required food-safety card may matter; fame usually matters less in this broad job group.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a food service worker do?
All food preparation and serving related workers not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
There’s no single routine in this broad job group: a food-prep worker might wash and cut produce, portion ingredients, and help serve meals. Between orders, they clean tools and counters and restock supplies.
How to get this job
In the U.S., many entry-level food-service jobs need no diploma or experience; workers usually learn from an experienced coworker. Some places require a food-worker card, and federal rules let 14- and 15-year-olds do only limited kitchen tasks.
Did you know?
Surprise: U.S. federal rules let 14- and 15-year-olds do some food-prep work, but they cannot bake and may cook only in limited ways.
Earn more in the same field
Food Preparation and Serving jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/35-9099.00
- www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/food-preparation-workers.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/a-look-at-supplemental-pay-overtime-pay-bonuses-and-shi
- www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/58-child-labor-cooking-baking
- doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/food/food-worker-and-industry/food-worker-c
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY