Food preparation and serving related occupations

Many young people worked as cooks and food preparation workers—almost 19 percent were between 16 and 19 years old.
More than 2 out of 5 food preparation workers were employed part time.
Job openings are expected to be plentiful, because many of these workers transfer to other occupations with higher earnings or burn out from the fast work pace and pressure to fill orders quickly.

Most jobs are part time so many opportunities exist for young people—about one-fourth of these workers were 16 to 19 years old, almost six times the proportion for all workers.
Job openings are expected to be abundant through 2014 because many of these workers transfer to other occupations or stop working, creating numerous openings.
Tips comprise a major portion of earnings, so keen competition is expected for jobs where potential earnings from tips are greatest—bartenders, waiters and waitresses, and other jobs in popular restaurants and fine dining establishments.

Earnings Graph

National Average and Percentile Annual Earnings, May 2005

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

May 2005 Mean Annual Earnings and Employment, wage and salary workers

Food preparation and serving related occupations
— National
U.S.:	$17,840
— by State
AL:	$15,140
AK:	$21,980
AZ:	$17,430
AR:	$14,820
CA:	$19,080
CO:	$18,460
CT:	$21,830
DE:	$19,190
DC:	$21,830
FL:	$18,110
GA:	$16,180
HI:	$21,830
ID:	$15,430
IL:	$18,260
IN:	$16,460
IA:	$16,350
KS:	$15,910
KY:	$15,780
LA:	$15,920
ME:	$18,450
MD:	$18,450
MA:	$21,750
MI:	$17,580
MN:	$18,480
MS:	$15,070
MO:	$16,850
MT:	$15,720
NE:	$16,360
NV:	$19,600
NH:	$19,380
NJ:	$19,810
NM:	$15,340
NY:	$20,730
NC:	$16,690
ND:	$16,090
OH:	$16,820
OK:	$15,200
OR:	$19,690
PA:	$17,250
RI:	$19,670
SC:	$16,200
SD:	$15,460
TN:	$16,330
TX:	$15,870
UT:	$17,140
VT:	$20,000
VA:	$17,790
WA:	$21,060
WV:	$15,240
WI:	$17,490
WY:	$15,980
GU:	$14,830
PR:	$13,970
VI:	$17,330
— by NAICS Industry Sector
11	$28,140
21	$26,570
22	$21,390
23	$16,500
31-33	$18,690
42	$18,230
44-45	$19,150
48-49	$23,450
51	$15,840
52	$22,680
53	$19,490
54	$22,100
55	$21,650
56	$18,450
61	$19,800
62	$19,940
71	$19,300
72	$17,390
81	$18,040
92	$23,150
Also see State and Metropolitan Area and industry estimates of employment and percentile earnings for food preparation and serving related occupations.

Width of bars indicates mean annual wages; color of bars indicates employment.

source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about this section

Food preparation and serving related occupations

Full-time wage and salary workers, 2004
Employment Median weekly earnings
$ W/M ratio
Women
(emp.) (earn.) 1,908,000 $339 0.883
Men
(emp.) (earn.) 1,955,000 $384
All workers
(emp.) (earn.) 3,863,000 $360

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

• Union affiliation of employed wage & salary workers
• Median weekly earnings of full-time wage & salary workers

Food preparation and serving related occupations

Employed persons: 7,361,000
Members of unions		Represented by unions
Number	Percent	Number	Percent
316,000	4.3%	362,000	4.9%
more union employment statistics

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Employed wage and salary workers paid hourly rates and those with earnings at or below the Federal minimum wage, 2004

Food preparation and serving related occupations

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers, 2004

Occupation	Employee Tenure, median (years)
Food preparation and serving related occupations	1.8

source: Current Population Survey; about this section

2004 Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure

Occupation	Fatalities: Event or exposure
Occupation	Total	Tran.	Viol.	Cont.	Falls	Expo.	Fires
Food preparation and serving related occupations	52	3	37	5	5	-	-
Supervisors, food preparation and serving workers	10	10	-	-	-	-	-
Other food preparation and serving related workers	5	4	-	-	-	-	-

source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities Program; about this section

Current job openings on craigslist.com

retail / food / hospitality jobs

All full-time wage and salary workers	$356
— Members of unions	$439
— Represented by unions	$442
— Non-union	$350
more union earnings statistics