Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Pennsylvania employs 488,350 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 Pennsylvania, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Pennsylvania, 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 | $63,860 | $67,890 | 9,170 | $30/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $43,050 | $44,550 | 35,560 | $20/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Restaurant | $36,580 | $35,750 | 54,100 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $36,540 | $36,950 | 24,490 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Waiters and Waitresses | $34,690 | $38,110 | 82,300 | $16/hr |
| 6 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $33,300 | $33,720 | 13,940 | $16/hr |
| 7 | Food Preparation Workers | $30,840 | $31,880 | 17,940 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Dishwashers | $29,950 | $29,950 | 19,570 | $14/hr |
| 9 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $29,310 | $29,810 | 20,800 | $14/hr |
| 10 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $29,170 | $30,020 | 18,020 | $14/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Fast Food | $28,810 | $30,580 | 9,240 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,570 | $28,930 | 142,220 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $28,420 | $35,460 | 37,490 | $13/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Short Order | $19,910 | $25,130 | 3,510 | $9/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 488,350 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Pennsylvania is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $63,860/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Pennsylvania is $33,786/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Pennsylvania range from $17,150 (entry-level) to $95,830 (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 Pennsylvania. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources