Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Ohio employs 491,210 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 Ohio, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Ohio, 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 | $53,990 | $61,220 | 4,000 | $25/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $37,340 | $41,680 | 51,990 | $17/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $36,720 | $37,160 | 23,440 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Waiters and Waitresses | $36,700 | $42,190 | 77,250 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Restaurant | $35,540 | $35,280 | 46,910 | $17/hr |
| 6 | Food Preparation Workers | $34,530 | $34,560 | 19,480 | $16/hr |
| 7 | Bartenders | $30,880 | $39,420 | 27,420 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $30,440 | $32,470 | 15,320 | $14/hr |
| 9 | Dishwashers | $29,520 | $30,470 | 14,380 | $14/hr |
| 10 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $29,400 | $31,340 | 13,670 | $14/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Short Order | $29,290 | $30,280 | 6,000 | $14/hr |
| 12 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,430 | $28,900 | 163,560 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $27,550 | $29,370 | 15,480 | $13/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $26,870 | $27,860 | 12,310 | $12/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Ohio:
Ohio has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 491,210 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Ohio is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $53,990/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Ohio is $33,371/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Ohio range from $22,260 (entry-level) to $89,960 (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 Ohio. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources