Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Arkansas employs 111,400 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 Arkansas, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Arkansas, 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 | $46,170 | $53,820 | 880 | $22/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $33,800 | $36,730 | 11,200 | $16/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Short Order | $30,510 | $31,560 | 160 | $14/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $30,240 | $32,720 | 6,530 | $14/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | $30,180 | $31,650 | 11,270 | $14/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Fast Food | $27,710 | $27,770 | 7,860 | $13/hr |
| 7 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $27,670 | $30,140 | 2,160 | $13/hr |
| 8 | Food Preparation Workers | $27,660 | $29,460 | 5,500 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $27,600 | $29,110 | 3,540 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Dishwashers | $27,540 | $28,580 | 2,630 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $26,760 | $27,560 | 3,110 | $12/hr |
| 12 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $26,250 | $26,890 | 35,660 | $12/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $25,090 | $32,850 | 3,020 | $12/hr |
| 14 | Waiters and Waitresses | $24,680 | $29,050 | 17,880 | $11/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Arkansas:
Arkansas has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 111,400 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Arkansas is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $46,170/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Arkansas is $29,419/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Arkansas range from $22,880 (entry-level) to $87,730 (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 Arkansas. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources