Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Hawaii employs 81,830 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 Hawaii, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Hawaii, 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 | $77,360 | $80,720 | 1,240 | $37/hr |
| 2 | Bartenders | $76,490 | $76,740 | 3,540 | $36/hr |
| 3 | Waiters and Waitresses | $62,390 | $68,260 | 14,090 | $30/hr |
| 4 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $51,200 | $51,160 | 4,380 | $24/hr |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $48,880 | $54,400 | 7,330 | $23/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Fast Food | $48,120 | $41,670 | N/A | $23/hr |
| 7 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $47,770 | $52,100 | 1,570 | $22/hr |
| 8 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $47,070 | $45,330 | 2,650 | $22/hr |
| 9 | Cooks, Restaurant | $45,420 | $47,080 | 11,090 | $21/hr |
| 10 | Cooks, Short Order | $43,110 | $44,930 | 460 | $20/hr |
| 11 | Food Preparation Workers | $38,160 | $41,670 | 5,950 | $18/hr |
| 12 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $37,920 | $45,670 | 880 | $18/hr |
| 13 | Dishwashers | $37,740 | $41,430 | 4,520 | $18/hr |
| 14 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,250 | $35,810 | 24,130 | $16/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Hawaii:
Hawaii has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 81,830 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Hawaii is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $77,360/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Hawaii is $49,777/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Hawaii range from $29,120 (entry-level) to $119,870 (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 Hawaii. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources