Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Georgia employs 434,140 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 Georgia, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Georgia, 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 | $66,230 | $70,450 | 3,680 | $31/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $38,600 | $42,510 | 48,420 | $18/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Restaurant | $35,940 | $34,430 | 46,350 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Food Preparation Workers | $35,250 | $33,970 | 26,450 | $16/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $35,090 | $35,380 | 8,220 | $16/hr |
| 6 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $31,530 | $33,270 | 4,970 | $15/hr |
| 7 | Dishwashers | $29,730 | $29,950 | 11,300 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $28,920 | $30,450 | 14,540 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $27,850 | $27,170 | 17,300 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Cooks, Fast Food | $26,940 | $27,560 | 12,940 | $12/hr |
| 11 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $26,920 | $27,290 | 145,030 | $12/hr |
| 12 | Cooks, Short Order | $26,870 | $29,370 | 3,870 | $12/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $22,830 | $30,330 | 14,600 | $10/hr |
| 14 | Waiters and Waitresses | $18,700 | $26,610 | 76,470 | $8/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Georgia:
Georgia has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 434,140 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Georgia is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $66,230/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Georgia is $32,243/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Georgia range from $15,080 (entry-level) to $100,970 (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 Georgia. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources