Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Maine employs 55,110 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 Maine, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Maine, 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 | $57,010 | $61,540 | 1,250 | $27/hr |
| 2 | Bartenders | $48,920 | $58,520 | 3,230 | $23/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $47,990 | $50,620 | 3,740 | $23/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Restaurant | $45,290 | $45,240 | 5,130 | $21/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $43,490 | $43,520 | 1,790 | $20/hr |
| 6 | Waiters and Waitresses | $43,370 | $51,260 | 9,090 | $20/hr |
| 7 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $38,560 | $42,960 | 1,540 | $18/hr |
| 8 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $37,680 | $38,530 | 540 | $18/hr |
| 9 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $36,800 | $39,050 | 1,460 | $17/hr |
| 10 | Cooks, Fast Food | $36,350 | $36,740 | 1,470 | $17/hr |
| 11 | Food Preparation Workers | $36,030 | $37,470 | 4,560 | $17/hr |
| 12 | Dishwashers | $35,620 | $36,370 | 2,940 | $17/hr |
| 13 | Cooks, Short Order | $35,360 | $36,730 | 1,120 | $17/hr |
| 14 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,710 | $35,880 | 17,250 | $16/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Maine:
Maine has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 55,110 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Maine is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $57,010/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Maine is $41,227/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Maine range from $30,490 (entry-level) to $99,850 (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 Maine. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources