Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Tennessee employs 296,920 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 Tennessee, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Tennessee, 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 | $69,810 | $70,710 | 3,820 | $33/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $40,500 | $44,720 | 29,100 | $19/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Restaurant | $36,420 | $36,530 | 28,220 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $35,570 | $35,260 | 10,680 | $17/hr |
| 5 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $30,670 | $32,590 | 5,230 | $14/hr |
| 6 | Dishwashers | $30,530 | $31,700 | 7,810 | $14/hr |
| 7 | Cooks, Short Order | $30,210 | $31,620 | 2,510 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $29,470 | $29,680 | 11,330 | $14/hr |
| 9 | Food Preparation Workers | $28,700 | $30,860 | 19,780 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Cooks, Fast Food | $28,330 | $29,480 | 14,020 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Waiters and Waitresses | $27,760 | $29,070 | 52,120 | $13/hr |
| 12 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $27,490 | $27,690 | 11,280 | $13/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $27,480 | $31,180 | 10,330 | $13/hr |
| 14 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,470 | $27,870 | 90,690 | $13/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Tennessee:
Tennessee has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 296,920 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Tennessee is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $69,810/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Tennessee is $33,601/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Tennessee range from $15,080 (entry-level) to $98,860 (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 Tennessee. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources