occupation · 51-3093 · detailed
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders — wages and employment
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $40,550 in the United States in May 2024, with 27,660 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $40,550 in the United States in May 2024, with 27,660 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $30,540 or less, the best-paid tenth $54,170 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $38,550 to $40,550, +5.2 %. The best-paying state is Nebraska at $50,020; the lowest Puerto Rico at $22,670. Among metropolitan areas, Modesto, CA pays the highest median, $80,310. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 27,660 | $40,550 | $41,930 | $30,540 | $35,310 | $47,420 | $54,170 | $19.49 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 29,730 | $38,550 | $39,770 | $28,720 | $33,430 | $45,870 | $50,910 | $18.54 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $50,020 | 400 |
| Colorado | $49,830 | 240 |
| Michigan | $48,070 | 720 |
| Washington | $48,020 | 320 |
| Minnesota | $47,890 | 380 |
| New Mexico | $47,250 | 290 |
| Idaho | $46,470 | 780 |
| New York | $46,360 | 960 |
| Iowa | $45,910 | 1,000 |
| Kansas | $45,580 | 710 |
| Tennessee | $45,040 | 1,730 |
| California | $44,720 | 2,340 |
| Massachusetts | $43,090 | 450 |
| Illinois | $42,890 | 920 |
| Oregon | $42,430 | 600 |
| Connecticut | $42,390 | 80 |
| Indiana | $41,600 | 690 |
| Wisconsin | $40,360 | 1,050 |
| Kentucky | $39,770 | 340 |
| Ohio | $38,740 | 1,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,570 | 1,350 |
| Georgia | $38,260 | 440 |
| Maryland | $38,190 | 260 |
| South Dakota | $38,070 | 110 |
| Arkansas | $37,770 | 260 |
| Utah | $37,610 | 520 |
| Louisiana | $37,570 | — |
| North Carolina | $37,440 | 580 |
| South Carolina | $36,870 | 560 |
| Virginia | $36,860 | 730 |
| Maine | $36,710 | 250 |
| New Jersey | $36,100 | 650 |
| Missouri | $35,940 | 700 |
| New Hampshire | $35,250 | 30 |
| Arizona | $33,560 | 700 |
| Florida | $33,280 | 880 |
| Texas | $33,150 | 2,390 |
| Mississippi | $32,260 | 140 |
| Alabama | $26,200 | 320 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,670 | 80 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $80,310 | 150 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $55,870 | 90 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $55,630 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,850 | 70 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,490 | 200 |
| Ogden, UT | $50,980 | 80 |
| Appleton, WI | $50,860 | 60 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $50,020 | 190 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $49,940 | 230 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $48,830 | 140 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,190 | 280 |
| Evansville, IN | $48,070 | 50 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $47,540 | 130 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $47,420 | — |
| Rochester, NY | $47,350 | 110 |
| Syracuse, NY | $47,280 | 50 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $46,790 | 220 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,750 | 90 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $46,690 | 80 |
| Merced, CA | $46,530 | 40 |
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