Food Preparation and Serving Related

Dishwashers

14/100
#561 of 825
$34,810
median pay, U.S.
477,450
employed (2024)
+0.2%
growth, 2024–34
76,800
openings per year
No formal educational credential
typical entry education

Is dishwashers a good career?

It scores 14/100 and ranks #561 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.

Advantages

  • High volume of openings — about 76,800 a year
  • No college degree typically required to enter

Possible tradeoffs

  • Pays below the U.S. median wage ($34,810 vs $61,390)
  • Slower-than-average projected growth (+0.2%)

What dishwashers earn

Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025

Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. dishwashers earn between $29,690 and $37,440 a year.

Best-paying states

Washington statewide
$40,080
$38,670
California statewide
$37,870
Colorado statewide
$37,840
Hawaii statewide
$37,740
Massachusetts statewide
$37,190
Illinois statewide
$36,180
Oregon statewide
$36,040
Vermont statewide
$36,010
New Jersey statewide
$35,900
$20k $50k $80k

Best-paying metros

01 Kahului, HI $45,930
02 San Jose, CA $43,960
03 Seattle, WA $42,750
04 San Francisco, CA $42,100
05 Napa, CA $39,930
06 Bremerton, WA $38,910
07 Santa Rosa, CA $38,810
08 Denver, CO $38,710

Strongest employment concentration

01 California 74,160
02 Florida 40,480
03 Texas 33,630
04 New York 30,680
05 Pennsylvania 19,570
06 Illinois 16,250

Live dishwashers jobs

No live dishwashers openings yet

When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified dishwashers openings will appear here — each shown against the $34,810 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.

No placeholder listings · nothing invented

How to become a dishwasher

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Related occupations

No formal educational credential · $33,980 median
No formal educational credential · $31,200 median
No formal educational credential · $35,840 median
Questions about becoming a dishwasher
How much do dishwashers make?

The national median wage is $34,810 a year, with the middle half earning between $29,690 and $37,440 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is dishwashers a good career?

On the Jobs.best index it scores 14 of 100 and ranks #561 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +0.2% through 2034.

What education do you need to become a dishwasher?

The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.

Where do dishwashers earn the most?

Among states, Washington pays the highest median ($40,080). Local pay for every state and metro is below.

U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWages: BLS OEWS May 2025 · Projections: BLS EP 2024–34
Sources: OEWS-M2025 · EP-2024-34. How we score careers →