Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
New York employs 727,610 Food Preparation & Serving professionals across 15 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 New York, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in New York, 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 | $70,670 | $74,840 | 17,430 | $33/hr |
| 2 | Bartenders | $61,210 | $61,670 | 43,130 | $29/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $47,190 | $50,590 | 65,580 | $22/hr |
| 4 | Waiters and Waitresses | $47,020 | $54,750 | 142,940 | $22/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $45,880 | $46,850 | 17,670 | $22/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Restaurant | $43,680 | $43,150 | 71,530 | $21/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $39,370 | $42,560 | 17,520 | $18/hr |
| 8 | Cooks, Private Household | $37,440 | $42,690 | 140 | $18/hr |
| 9 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $36,740 | $42,480 | 41,340 | $17/hr |
| 10 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $36,490 | $40,100 | 18,640 | $17/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Fast Food | $35,770 | $36,800 | 11,710 | $17/hr |
| 12 | Food Preparation Workers | $35,610 | $38,310 | 62,380 | $17/hr |
| 13 | Cooks, Short Order | $35,550 | $38,320 | 18,300 | $17/hr |
| 14 | Dishwashers | $35,450 | $37,740 | 30,680 | $17/hr |
| 15 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,250 | $36,920 | 168,620 | $16/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across New York:
New York has 15 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 727,610 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in New York is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $70,670/year.
The average median salary across 15 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in New York is $42,888/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in New York range from $32,240 (entry-level) to $120,370 (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 New York. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources