United States · Pay by job
Food Service jobs: pay and take-home
BLS counts 17 food service jobs, done by about 13,680,760 people. The best paid is chef and head cook at a median of $62,470; the most common is fast food and counter worker, at $31,200 (BLS, May 2025).
BLS group: Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
What does each food service job pay?
| Job | Median pay | Take-home in Texas | People | Growth to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chef and Head Cook | $62,470 | $52,375 | 200,040 | +6.6% |
| Private Household Cook | $47,940 | $40,700 | 1,100 | +5.1% |
| Food Service Supervisor | $44,080 | $37,598 | 1,223,240 | +5.4% |
| Other Cook | $37,690 | $32,464 | 19,350 | +5.2% |
| Institution and Cafeteria Cook | $37,450 | $32,271 | 441,050 | +2.8% |
| Restaurant Cook | $37,390 | $32,223 | 1,409,890 | +12.1% |
| Short Order Cook | $35,880 | $31,010 | 138,650 | -5.2% |
| Other Food Service Worker | $35,840 | $30,977 | 84,630 | +5.5% |
| Nonrestaurant Food Server | $35,360 | $30,592 | 293,900 | +4.5% |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $30,560 | 893,600 | -3% |
| Waiter and Waitress | $35,230 | $30,487 | 2,270,910 | +2% |
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $30,150 | 477,450 | -1% |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $29,772 | 756,390 | +5% |
| Busser and Dining Room Attendant | $33,980 | $29,483 | 542,750 | +5.3% |
| Fast Food and Counter Worker | $31,200 | $27,249 | 3,854,050 | +5.8% |
| Restaurant Host and Hostess | $31,200 | $27,249 | 432,690 | +3.4% |
| Fast Food Cook | $30,890 | $27,000 | 641,070 | +0.6% |
Take-home is for a single filer on the national median (hourly-only jobs: 2,080 hours), after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for 2026; Texas has no state income tax. Each job’s page has every state.
What do other kinds of jobs pay?
- Management 37 jobs
- Business and Finance 32 jobs
- Computer and Math 21 jobs
- Architecture and Engineering 36 jobs
- Science 48 jobs
- Community and Social Service 17 jobs
- Legal 8 jobs
- Education and Library 64 jobs
- Arts, Design, Sports and Media 41 jobs
- Healthcare Practitioners 71 jobs
- Healthcare Support 17 jobs
- Protective Service 24 jobs
- Cleaning and Grounds 10 jobs
- Personal Care and Service 32 jobs
- Sales 22 jobs
- Office and Admin Support 54 jobs
- Farming, Fishing and Forestry 13 jobs
- Construction and Extraction 60 jobs
- Installation, Maintenance and Repair 51 jobs
- Production 105 jobs
- Transportation and Material Moving 50 jobs
Search every job: pay by job.
Questions about food service pay
What is the highest-paying food service job?
Chef and Head Cook, with a median of $62,470 (BLS, May 2025). Next come private household cook ($47,940) and food service supervisor ($44,080).
What is the most common food service job?
Fast Food and Counter Worker: about 3,854,050 people across the US, with a median of $31,200.
Which food service jobs are growing fastest?
BLS expects the most growth from 2025 to 2035 in restaurant cook (+12.1%), chef and head cook (+6.6%), fast food and counter worker (+5.8%).
What do food service jobs pay after tax?
On the median pay, a single filer in Texas keeps $52,375 a year as chef and head cook and $27,249 as fast food and counter worker, after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Each job’s page works it out for 19 states.
What education do food service jobs need?
For 14 of the 17 jobs here, BLS lists “no formal educational credential” as the usual education. Each job’s page gives its own.