Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Kentucky employs 175,540 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 Kentucky, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Kentucky, 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 | $48,070 | $55,770 | 1,790 | $23/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $35,810 | $39,320 | 18,010 | $17/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Restaurant | $34,640 | $33,700 | 13,510 | $16/hr |
| 4 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $32,200 | $32,750 | 3,660 | $15/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Short Order | $31,840 | $33,160 | 650 | $15/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $31,550 | $33,790 | 11,540 | $15/hr |
| 7 | Waiters and Waitresses | $29,660 | $35,410 | 27,150 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Dishwashers | $29,060 | $29,190 | 4,890 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Bartenders | $28,780 | $34,970 | 6,870 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,130 | $26,890 | 41,860 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $27,100 | $26,900 | 5,120 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Food Preparation Workers | $26,850 | $28,760 | 15,390 | $12/hr |
| 13 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $26,330 | $26,350 | 3,350 | $12/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $23,500 | $25,300 | 21,750 | $11/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Kentucky:
Kentucky has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 175,540 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Kentucky is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $48,070/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Kentucky is $30,894/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Kentucky range from $15,870 (entry-level) to $88,410 (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 Kentucky. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources