Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

35-2021 Food Preparation Workers

Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
775,140 1.1 % $10.07 $20,950 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.85 $8.47 $9.27 $11.21 $13.93
Annual Wage (2) $16,330 $17,610 $19,270 $23,310 $28,960


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 205,360 4.51 $9.77 $20,320
Limited-Service Eating Places 160,080 3.90 $8.98 $18,680
Grocery Stores 107,450 4.35 $10.68 $22,200
Elementary and Secondary Schools 54,250 0.65 $11.44 $23,800
Special Food Services 46,030 8.06 $10.42 $21,680

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Special Food Services 46,030 8.06 $10.42 $21,680
Full-Service Restaurants 205,360 4.51 $9.77 $20,320
Specialty Food Stores 9,530 4.39 $10.16 $21,130
Grocery Stores 107,450 4.35 $10.68 $22,200
Limited-Service Eating Places 160,080 3.90 $8.98 $18,680

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 30 0.02 $13.68 $28,460
Warehousing and Storage 70 0.01 $12.90 $26,830
Home Health Care Services 290 0.03 $12.58 $26,160
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 5,090 0.18 $12.52 $26,050
Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers (8) (8) $12.17 $25,310


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 101,910 7.26 1.20 $10.21 $21,230
New York 58,530 6.95 1.15 $11.25 $23,390
Florida 55,460 7.75 1.28 $9.75 $20,280
Texas 41,630 4.04 0.67 $9.21 $19,150
Pennsylvania 39,700 7.15 1.18 $10.32 $21,470




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 27,850 15.14 2.51 $8.73 $18,150
Mississippi 15,680 14.61 2.42 $8.37 $17,400
Hawaii 6,840 11.84 1.96 $11.92 $24,790
South Dakota 4,050 10.31 1.71 $9.14 $19,010
Alaska 3,130 10.01 1.66 $12.34 $25,660




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 8,340 7.50 1.24 $13.34 $27,750
District of Columbia 3,210 4.99 0.82 $12.46 $25,920
Alaska 3,130 10.01 1.66 $12.34 $25,660
Hawaii 6,840 11.84 1.96 $11.92 $24,790
Connecticut 13,520 8.40 1.39 $11.74 $24,410





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 32,870 6.49 1.07 $11.84 $24,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 26,550 6.94 1.15 $9.72 $20,230
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 19,680 5.49 0.91 $9.96 $20,710
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 12,530 5.42 0.90 $10.83 $22,520
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 11,060 6.09 1.01 $11.22 $23,330
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 10,860 4.88 0.81 $10.24 $21,290
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 10,130 7.31 1.21 $11.06 $23,000
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 9,990 8.09 1.34 $9.84 $20,460
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 9,460 3.71 0.61 $9.73 $20,240
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 9,300 18.23 3.02 $9.00 $18,730




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hattiesburg, MS 1,070 19.28 3.19 $8.85 $18,410
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 1,900 18.80 3.11 $8.36 $17,390
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA 9,300 18.23 3.02 $9.00 $18,730
Lafayette, LA 2,270 15.68 2.59 $8.79 $18,280
Pascagoula, MS 850 15.56 2.58 $8.28 $17,220
Jackson, MS 3,570 14.53 2.41 $8.36 $17,400
Punta Gorda, FL 560 14.22 2.35 $9.72 $20,210
Naples-Marco Island, FL 1,550 13.96 2.31 $11.77 $24,480
Peoria, IL 2,340 13.81 2.28 $9.32 $19,390
Alexandria, LA 850 13.73 2.27 $8.65 $17,990




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 300 8.58 1.42 $14.34 $29,830
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 6,860 8.51 1.41 $13.93 $28,970
Rochester, MN 280 2.81 0.46 $12.83 $26,690
State College, PA 710 10.63 1.76 $12.79 $26,590
Napa, CA 540 8.83 1.46 $12.31 $25,600
New Haven, CT 2,140 8.03 1.33 $12.29 $25,550
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 6,490 5.37 0.89 $12.02 $25,000
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 760 4.92 0.81 $11.96 $24,870
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 5,480 4.00 0.66 $11.95 $24,860
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 32,870 6.49 1.07 $11.84 $24,630

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,050 14.68 2.43 $8.32 $17,290
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 3,000 7.88 1.30 $8.61 $17,910
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 2,320 17.53 2.90 $8.45 $17,570
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 2,310 7.91 1.31 $8.46 $17,590
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 2,150 15.79 2.61 $8.51 $17,710

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Winnsboro nonmetropolitan area 1,480 18.66 3.09 $8.30 $17,260
New Iberia nonmetropolitan area 2,320 17.53 2.90 $8.45 $17,570
Natchitoches nonmetropolitan area 1,300 16.14 2.67 $8.28 $17,210
Eastern Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 2,150 15.79 2.61 $8.51 $17,710
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 1,870 15.15 2.51 $8.51 $17,700

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 1,850 12.17 2.01 $13.55 $28,190
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 770 10.69 1.77 $13.30 $27,670
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 100 7.19 1.19 $12.72 $26,450
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 590 8.18 1.35 $12.66 $26,330
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 290 8.25 1.37 $12.54 $26,090


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012