Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Iowa employs 134,490 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 Iowa, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Iowa, 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 | $47,990 | $52,840 | 1,640 | $23/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $38,760 | $42,360 | 11,400 | $18/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $35,810 | $35,260 | 8,860 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Restaurant | $35,670 | $35,700 | 12,270 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Short Order | $34,090 | $34,960 | 1,160 | $16/hr |
| 6 | Food Preparation Workers | $30,360 | $32,080 | 4,170 | $14/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $30,110 | $31,000 | 5,270 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Dishwashers | $29,300 | $29,140 | 3,290 | $14/hr |
| 9 | Cooks, Fast Food | $28,510 | $27,600 | 8,290 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,390 | $28,940 | 40,290 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $28,210 | $26,810 | 3,250 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $28,210 | $30,690 | 2,630 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $21,720 | $25,620 | 9,560 | $10/hr |
| 14 | Waiters and Waitresses | $21,000 | $26,940 | 22,410 | $10/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Iowa:
Iowa has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 134,490 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Iowa is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $47,990/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Iowa is $31,295/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Iowa range from $15,080 (entry-level) to $74,730 (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 Iowa. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources