Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Delaware employs 45,290 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 Delaware, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Delaware, 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 | $61,440 | $66,590 | 590 | $29/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $48,120 | $52,160 | 4,030 | $23/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $44,080 | $42,720 | 2,680 | $21/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Short Order | $38,500 | $38,960 | N/A | $18/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | $37,840 | $39,190 | 5,280 | $18/hr |
| 6 | Waiters and Waitresses | $36,880 | $43,070 | 7,580 | $17/hr |
| 7 | Bartenders | $36,840 | $42,890 | 2,820 | $17/hr |
| 8 | Food Preparation Workers | $35,930 | $36,360 | 2,400 | $17/hr |
| 9 | Dishwashers | $35,780 | $35,220 | 1,520 | $17/hr |
| 10 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $31,880 | $34,290 | 1,540 | $15/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Fast Food | $31,840 | $35,780 | 850 | $15/hr |
| 12 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $31,430 | $34,410 | 1,010 | $15/hr |
| 13 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,300 | $33,650 | 13,310 | $15/hr |
| 14 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $32,600 | 1,680 | $15/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Delaware:
Delaware has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 45,290 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Delaware is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $61,440/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Delaware is $38,076/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Delaware range from $31,200 (entry-level) to $84,680 (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 Delaware. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources