Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Missouri employs 252,150 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 Missouri, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Missouri, 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 | $64,480 | $66,640 | 1,750 | $31/hr |
| 2 | Cooks, Short Order | $38,490 | $37,390 | N/A | $18/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $37,400 | $43,250 | 21,650 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Restaurant | $36,940 | $38,460 | 25,990 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $34,900 | $35,190 | 13,130 | $16/hr |
| 6 | Dishwashers | $32,150 | $33,900 | 7,200 | $15/hr |
| 7 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $31,850 | $33,870 | 11,590 | $15/hr |
| 8 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $31,840 | $33,390 | 7,490 | $15/hr |
| 9 | Food Preparation Workers | $31,510 | $34,040 | 13,650 | $15/hr |
| 10 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $30,390 | $32,130 | 29,360 | $14/hr |
| 11 | Bartenders | $30,090 | $38,170 | 14,410 | $14/hr |
| 12 | Cooks, Fast Food | $29,890 | $30,990 | 55,780 | $14/hr |
| 13 | Waiters and Waitresses | $29,400 | $38,620 | 41,640 | $14/hr |
| 14 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $29,130 | $32,440 | 8,510 | $14/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Missouri:
Missouri has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 252,150 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Missouri is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $64,480/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Missouri is $34,890/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Missouri range from $28,600 (entry-level) to $91,500 (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 Missouri. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources