Average Salary for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
SOC 51-3093 · Production Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in the United States is $40,550 ($19.49/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $30,540 at the 10th percentile to $54,170 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 27,660 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 47% since 2014.
Median Annual
$40,550
Mean Annual
$41,930
10th Pct
$30,540
75th Pct
$47,420
Employment
27,660
Salary Distribution
$31k
10th
$35k
25th
$41k
Median
$47k
75th
$54k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $80,310 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $55,870 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $55,630 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,850 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,490 |
| Ogden, UT | $50,980 |
| Appleton, WI | $50,860 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $50,020 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $49,940 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $48,830 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,190 |
| Evansville, IN | $48,070 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $47,540 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $47,420 |
| Rochester, NY | $47,350 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Nebraska | $50,020 |
| Colorado | $49,830 |
| Michigan | $48,070 |
| Washington | $48,020 |
| Minnesota | $47,890 |
| New Mexico | $47,250 |
| Idaho | $46,470 |
| New York | $46,360 |
| Iowa | $45,910 |
| Kansas | $45,580 |
| Tennessee | $45,040 |
| California | $44,720 |
| Massachusetts | $43,090 |
| Illinois | $42,890 |
| Oregon | $42,430 |
| Connecticut | $42,390 |
| Indiana | $41,600 |
| Wisconsin | $40,360 |
| Kentucky | $39,770 |
| Ohio | $38,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,570 |
| Georgia | $38,260 |
| Maryland | $38,190 |
| South Dakota | $38,070 |
| Arkansas | $37,770 |
| Utah | $37,610 |
| Louisiana | $37,570 |
| North Carolina | $37,440 |
| South Carolina | $36,870 |
| Virginia | $36,860 |
| Maine | $36,710 |
| New Jersey | $36,100 |
| Missouri | $35,940 |
| New Hampshire | $35,250 |
| Arizona | $33,560 |
| Florida | $33,280 |
| Texas | $33,150 |
| Mississippi | $32,260 |
| Alabama | $26,200 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,670 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Grain and Oilseed Milling | $53,480 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing | $48,100 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | $44,960 |
| Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | $43,350 |
| Special Food Services | $42,700 |
| Food Manufacturing | $42,080 |
| Manufacturing | $42,080 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $41,770 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $41,710 |
| Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | $40,850 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $40,550 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | $39,670 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $39,670 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $39,510 |
| Animal Food Manufacturing | $39,320 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | $38,310 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $36,120 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $36,120 |
| Employment Services | $36,120 |
| Temporary Help Services | $35,780 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $35,080 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $35,080 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $35,080 |
| Full-Service Restaurants | $34,590 |
| Wholesale Trade | $33,570 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $33,560 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $33,560 |
| Retail Trade | $31,470 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $30,050 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers | $30,050 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $40,550 |
| 2023 | $38,550 |
| 2022 | $36,700 |
| 2021 | $35,890 |
| 2020 | $33,010 |
| 2019 | $31,110 |
| 2018 | $30,120 |
| 2017 | $28,420 |
| 2016 | $28,350 |
| 2015 | $27,760 |
| 2014 | $27,590 |