Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Kansas employs 123,800 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 Kansas, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Kansas, 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 | $58,390 | $60,930 | 860 | $28/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $38,220 | $42,630 | 10,520 | $18/hr |
| 3 | Waiters and Waitresses | $36,120 | $39,170 | 19,480 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Restaurant | $35,130 | $34,900 | 11,620 | $16/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $31,950 | $32,990 | 7,570 | $15/hr |
| 6 | Food Preparation Workers | $30,280 | $31,460 | 7,680 | $14/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $29,040 | $28,610 | 1,270 | $13/hr |
| 8 | Cooks, Fast Food | $28,640 | $29,460 | 1,610 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $28,110 | $28,650 | 4,540 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Dishwashers | $28,060 | $28,990 | 2,480 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Bartenders | $27,940 | $35,780 | 5,430 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,580 | $27,190 | 47,140 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Cooks, Short Order | $27,400 | $29,600 | 640 | $13/hr |
| 14 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $26,300 | $26,900 | 2,960 | $12/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Kansas:
Kansas has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 123,800 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Kansas is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $58,390/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Kansas is $32,369/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Kansas range from $17,120 (entry-level) to $89,990 (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 Kansas. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources