Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Illinois employs 491,680 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 Illinois, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Illinois, 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 | $58,830 | $62,810 | 8,290 | $28/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $39,470 | $45,710 | 41,030 | $18/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Restaurant | $37,580 | $39,520 | 53,540 | $18/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,440 | $39,210 | 22,840 | $18/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Short Order | $37,440 | $37,640 | 2,630 | $18/hr |
| 6 | Dishwashers | $36,180 | $36,340 | 16,250 | $17/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,080 | $35,730 | 17,560 | $16/hr |
| 8 | Cooks, Fast Food | $34,960 | $35,340 | 13,430 | $16/hr |
| 9 | Food Preparation Workers | $34,850 | $36,260 | 34,820 | $16/hr |
| 10 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $33,910 | $34,280 | 127,590 | $16/hr |
| 11 | Bartenders | $31,200 | $35,550 | 43,010 | $15/hr |
| 12 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $31,200 | $33,800 | 21,290 | $15/hr |
| 13 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $34,750 | 16,500 | $15/hr |
| 14 | Waiters and Waitresses | $31,200 | $35,610 | 72,900 | $15/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Illinois:
Illinois has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 491,680 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Illinois is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $58,830/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Illinois is $36,467/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Illinois range from $31,200 (entry-level) to $88,420 (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 Illinois. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources