Best paying food service jobs

The highest-paying occupations in food service, ranked with median wage weighted heaviest.

How this ranking is scored

score = .70·pay + .10·growth + .10·employment + .10·openings

Each factor is scaled to the strongest occupation on this list, then weighted and summed. Weights differ by list type. Full methodology.

Wages — OEWS May 2025

Growth & openings — EP 2024–34

Rank by Overall score ·Pay ·Growth ·Openings

Compare · management·business and finance·technology

#

Occupation

MEDIAN PAY

P25–P75

Growth

Employed

Open/yr

Score

01

Chefs and Head Cooks · High school diploma or equivalent · 35-1011

$62,470

+7.1%

200,040

24,400

100

02

Fast Food and Counter Workers · No formal educational credential · 35-3023

$31,200

+6.1%

3.9M

904,300

78

03

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers · High school diploma or equivalent · 35-1012

$44,080

+6.0%

1.2M

183,900

78

04

Cooks, Restaurant · No formal educational credential · 35-2014

$37,390

+14.9%

1.4M

250,700

77

05

Cooks, Private Household · Postsecondary nondegree award · 35-2013

$47,940

+5.1%

1,100

5,300

76

06

Waiters and Waitresses · No formal educational credential · 35-3031

$35,230

-0.7%

2.3M

456,700

67

07

Cooks, All Other · No formal educational credential · 35-2019

$37,690

+5.5%

19,350

3,700

61

08

Bartenders · No formal educational credential · 35-3011

$34,340

+5.9%

756,390

129,600

61

09

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria · No formal educational credential · 35-2012

$37,450

+2.0%

441,050

69,700

60

10

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other · No formal educational credential · 35-9099

$35,840

+6.4%

84,630

14,600

59

11

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers · No formal educational credential · 35-9011

$33,980

+6.3%

542,750

99,600

59

12

Food Preparation Workers · No formal educational credential · 35-2021

$35,320

-3.4%

893,600

148,000

58

13

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant · No formal educational credential · 35-3041

$35,360

+3.0%

293,900

48,000

57

14

Dishwashers · No formal educational credential · 35-9021

$34,810

+0.2%

477,450

76,800

55

15

Cooks, Short Order · No formal educational credential · 35-2015

$35,880

-5.6%

138,650

20,600

54

16

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop · No formal educational credential · 35-9031

$31,200

-1.5%

432,690

107,700

49

17

Cooks, Fast Food · No formal educational credential · 35-2011

$30,890

-13.5%

641,070

82,100

49

All 17 scored occupations shown.

Fastest-growing food service careers

01 Cooks, Restaurant +14.9%

02 Chefs and Head Cooks +7.1%

03 Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other +6.4%

04 Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers +6.3%

05 Fast Food and Counter Workers +6.1%

food service careers without a four-year degree

01 Chefs and Head Cooks $62,470

02 Fast Food and Counter Workers $31,200

03 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $44,080

04 Cooks, Restaurant $37,390

05 Cooks, Private Household $47,940

Live jobs in food service

No live openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified food service openings will appear here, each matched to its BLS occupation. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

About food service careers

How many food service careers are there?

Jobs.best ranks 17 food service occupations with published wages, from OEWS May 2025.

What is the highest-paying food service job?

Chefs and Head Cooks, with a national median of $62,470.

Can you enter food service without a degree?

Yes — 5 of the ranked food service occupations typically need no four-year degree, including Chefs and Head Cooks.