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This question is about food service worker salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Food Service Worker?
A good starting salary for a food service worker is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a food service worker in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for food service workers is $26,933, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a food service worker can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Food Service Worker Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level food service worker earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| California | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Massachusetts | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| District of Columbia | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Washington | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Alaska | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| New York | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Oregon | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Maine | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Colorado | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Vermont | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Minnesota | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Nevada | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Rhode Island | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| New Hampshire | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Michigan | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Arizona | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Hawaii | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Wisconsin | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Utah | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Delaware | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Maryland | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Nebraska | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Connecticut | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Illinois | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Iowa | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| New Mexico | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Indiana | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Kentucky | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Wyoming | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| North Dakota | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| New Jersey | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| West Virginia | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| North Carolina | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| South Dakota | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| South Carolina | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Florida | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Ohio | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Virginia | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Pennsylvania | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Arkansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Kansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Montana | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Missouri | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Idaho | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Georgia | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Oklahoma | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Texas | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Mississippi | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Tennessee | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Louisiana | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Alabama | $14,000 | $1,166 | $269 | $6.73 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Food Service Worker Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level food service worker job is above the national average. Topping the list is Los Angeles, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Everett, MA | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Washington, DC | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Albany, NY | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Seattle, WA | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Portland, OR | $27,000 | $2,250 | $519 | $12.98 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Portland, ME | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
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