Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Arizona employs 280,000 Food Preparation & Serving professionals across 14 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Food Preparation & Serving industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Food Preparation & Serving in Arizona, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Arizona, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chefs and Head Cooks | $59,890 | $60,330 | 4,080 | $28/hr |
| 2 | Cooks, Short Order | $46,630 | $43,360 | 1,880 | $22/hr |
| 3 | Bartenders | $45,070 | $54,030 | 14,840 | $21/hr |
| 4 | Waiters and Waitresses | $43,950 | $51,170 | 55,950 | $21/hr |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $40,550 | $46,350 | 21,450 | $19/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $39,660 | $41,350 | 7,170 | $19/hr |
| 7 | Cooks, Restaurant | $38,670 | $40,070 | 30,870 | $18/hr |
| 8 | Food Preparation Workers | $36,750 | $37,810 | 16,590 | $17/hr |
| 9 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $36,500 | $39,750 | 13,300 | $17/hr |
| 10 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,390 | $36,990 | 4,620 | $17/hr |
| 11 | Dishwashers | $35,130 | $35,660 | 10,120 | $16/hr |
| 12 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $34,740 | $37,960 | 10,710 | $16/hr |
| 13 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,230 | $35,090 | 77,210 | $16/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $32,660 | $33,330 | 11,210 | $15/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Arizona:
Arizona has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 280,000 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Arizona is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $59,890/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Arizona is $39,987/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Arizona range from $30,580 (entry-level) to $95,240 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Food Preparation & Serving occupations use SOC prefix 35. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 35* in Arizona. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources