Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Texas employs 1,290,550 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 Texas, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Texas, 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 | $56,080 | $59,350 | 13,270 | $26/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $36,480 | $41,100 | 137,930 | $17/hr |
| 3 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $35,360 | $34,870 | 24,740 | $17/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Restaurant | $34,760 | $33,370 | 126,620 | $16/hr |
| 5 | Food Preparation Workers | $30,650 | $32,120 | 81,280 | $14/hr |
| 6 | Dishwashers | $29,610 | $29,720 | 33,630 | $14/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $29,300 | $29,950 | 14,340 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Cooks, Fast Food | $28,280 | $29,680 | 36,240 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,740 | $27,750 | 460,530 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $27,080 | $27,100 | 35,550 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Short Order | $25,320 | $27,610 | 7,540 | $12/hr |
| 12 | Waiters and Waitresses | $23,240 | $29,750 | 199,610 | $11/hr |
| 13 | Bartenders | $22,690 | $32,640 | 59,000 | $10/hr |
| 14 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $21,550 | $24,390 | 60,270 | $10/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Texas:
Texas has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 1,290,550 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Texas is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $56,080/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Texas is $30,581/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Texas range from $15,710 (entry-level) to $92,290 (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 Texas. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources