Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for food cooking machine operators and tenders is $41,590, or $20.00 per hour. About 31,250 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $51,100 in Washington to $27,080 in Alabama.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 41 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $51,100 | $24.57 | 310 | 0.43 |
| 2 | Utah | $48,620 | $23.37 | 390 | 1.12 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $47,960 | $23.06 | 170 | 0.24 |
| 4 | Iowa | $47,900 | $23.03 | 850 | 2.72 |
| 5 | Michigan | $47,260 | $22.72 | 380 | 0.43 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $47,250 | $22.72 | 1,410 | 2.38 |
| 7 | Colorado | $46,900 | $22.55 | 300 | 0.51 |
| 8 | Kansas | $45,850 | $22.04 | 750 | 2.58 |
| 9 | New York | $45,680 | $21.96 | 1,300 | 0.67 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $45,620 | $21.93 | 1,820 | 2.76 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $45,420 | $21.84 | 670 | 3.25 |
| 12 | Idaho | $45,120 | $21.69 | 790 | 4.60 |
| 13 | California | $44,740 | $21.51 | 2,010 | 0.55 |
| 14 | Oregon | $44,530 | $21.41 | 570 | 1.44 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $44,440 | $21.37 | 550 | 1.43 |
| 16 | Arizona | $44,050 | $21.18 | 560 | 0.87 |
| 17 | Indiana | $43,350 | $20.84 | 540 | 0.83 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $42,710 | $20.54 | 1,580 | 1.30 |
| 19 | Illinois | $42,670 | $20.51 | 2,460 | 2.01 |
| 20 | Missouri | $42,160 | $20.27 | 620 | 1.05 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $41,800 | $20.09 | 300 | 0.74 |
| 22 | Ohio | $41,160 | $19.79 | 980 | 0.88 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $40,480 | $19.46 | 330 | 1.27 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $40,440 | $19.44 | 110 | 0.82 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $40,000 | $19.23 | 850 | 1.44 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $39,270 | $18.88 | 120 | 1.33 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $39,070 | $18.79 | 770 | 0.78 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $38,880 | $18.69 | 60 | 0.17 |
| 29 | Georgia | $38,440 | $18.48 | 690 | 0.71 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $38,220 | $18.37 | 520 | 1.13 |
| 31 | Maine | $37,500 | $18.03 | 170 | 1.34 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $37,180 | $17.88 | 430 | 0.50 |
| 33 | Maryland | $36,960 | $17.77 | — | — |
| 34 | Nevada | $36,610 | $17.60 | — | — |
| 35 | Florida | $36,450 | $17.53 | 970 | 0.49 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $36,030 | $17.32 | 1,140 | 3.33 |
| 37 | Virginia | $35,140 | $16.90 | 510 | 0.61 |
| 38 | Texas | $33,980 | $16.34 | 3,180 | 1.12 |
| 39 | Delaware | $31,240 | $15.02 | — | — |
| 40 | Mississippi | $31,150 | $14.98 | 110 | 0.47 |
| 41 | Alabama | $27,080 | $13.02 | 250 | 0.59 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make?
The median annual wage for food cooking machine operators and tenders in the United States is $41,590, or $20.00 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $31,680, and the top 10% earn $54,410.
How many food cooking machine operators and tenders are employed in the U.S.?
About 31,250 people work as food cooking machine operators and tenders nationwide.
Which state pays food cooking machine operators and tenders the most?
Washington pays the most at a median of $51,100, followed by Utah ($48,620) and Massachusetts ($47,960).
Which state pays food cooking machine operators and tenders the least?
Alabama has the lowest median at $27,080.
Where are food cooking machine operators and tenders jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Idaho at 4.60×.