Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
North Carolina employs 447,600 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 North Carolina, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in North Carolina, 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 | $61,130 | $63,960 | 4,920 | $29/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $45,010 | $46,550 | 39,750 | $21/hr |
| 3 | Bartenders | $36,470 | $41,200 | 20,070 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $36,140 | $36,130 | 11,170 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | $35,400 | $35,140 | 50,150 | $17/hr |
| 6 | Waiters and Waitresses | $32,150 | $37,850 | 71,940 | $15/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $31,460 | $33,150 | 8,820 | $15/hr |
| 8 | Cooks, Short Order | $31,290 | $31,680 | 3,170 | $15/hr |
| 9 | Dishwashers | $30,340 | $31,110 | 12,050 | $14/hr |
| 10 | Food Preparation Workers | $30,260 | $31,270 | 24,960 | $14/hr |
| 11 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,570 | $29,050 | 92,230 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $28,320 | $28,120 | 15,160 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $27,560 | $27,690 | 11,230 | $13/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $27,190 | $27,080 | 81,980 | $13/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across North Carolina:
North Carolina has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 447,600 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in North Carolina is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $61,130/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in North Carolina is $34,378/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in North Carolina range from $15,920 (entry-level) to $92,210 (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 North Carolina. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources