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Food prep/dishwasher salary
Average food prep/dishwasher salary
$14.41
Average Food Prep/Dishwasher Salary
In the United States, the average salary for a Food Prep/Dishwasher is approximately $29,964 per year or $14 per hour. This figure reflects a combination of various factors including location, experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, those working in upscale restaurants may earn higher wages compared to those in fast food chains.
Salary by State
Salary can significantly differ by state. For example, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for food service workers. Connecticut and Washington also provide competitive wages, making them attractive options for job seekers.
Experience Levels
Entry-level positions typically start at around $13 per hour, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $16 per hour. Advancement opportunities are available, leading to roles such as kitchen supervisor or chef.
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Where can a Food Prep/Dishwasher earn more?
Food prep/dishwasher salaries by experience level
Average food prep/dishwasher salary by state
The highest-paying states for food prep/dishwashers are Washington, Maine, and Oregon. The lowest average food prep/dishwasher salary states are North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food prep/dishwashers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $32,944 | $15.84 |
| 2 | Maine | $35,572 | $17.10 |
| 3 | Washington | $37,335 | $17.95 |
| 4 | Nevada | $30,280 | $14.56 |
| 5 | Oregon | $35,144 | $16.90 |
| 6 | New York | $33,761 | $16.23 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $32,833 | $15.79 |
| 8 | Michigan | $28,138 | $13.53 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $29,782 | $14.32 |
| 10 | Illinois | $30,827 | $14.82 |
| 11 | Colorado | $31,108 | $14.96 |
| 12 | Arizona | $28,534 | $13.72 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $31,426 | $15.11 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $32,367 | $15.56 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $31,892 | $15.33 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $27,853 | $13.39 |
| 17 | Delaware | $30,161 | $14.50 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $35,456 | $17.05 |
| 19 | California | $33,545 | $16.13 |
| 20 | Vermont | $29,975 | $14.41 |
| 21 | Utah | $27,940 | $13.43 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $26,258 | $12.62 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $27,118 | $13.04 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $29,358 | $14.11 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $31,927 | $15.35 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $25,544 | $12.28 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $25,512 | $12.27 |
| 28 | Iowa | $26,658 | $12.82 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $27,900 | $13.41 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $27,743 | $13.34 |
| 31 | Kansas | $25,600 | $12.31 |
| 32 | Florida | $25,289 | $12.16 |
| 33 | Ohio | $25,440 | $12.23 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $24,689 | $11.87 |
| 35 | Indiana | $25,030 | $12.03 |
| 36 | Virginia | $26,659 | $12.82 |
| 37 | Texas | $25,376 | $12.20 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $27,319 | $13.13 |
| 39 | Missouri | $26,744 | $12.86 |
| 40 | Maryland | $28,403 | $13.66 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $25,707 | $12.36 |
| 42 | Idaho | $26,156 | $12.57 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $24,211 | $11.64 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $23,970 | $11.52 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $22,053 | $10.60 |
| 46 | Montana | $24,879 | $11.96 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $22,354 | $10.75 |
| 48 | Georgia | $24,236 | $11.65 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $22,266 | $10.70 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $22,631 | $10.88 |
| 51 | Alabama | $19,670 | $9.46 |
Highest paying cities for food prep/dishwashers
The highest-paying cities for food prep/dishwashers are Seattle, WA, Portland, ME, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $37,531 | $18.04 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $35,620 | $17.13 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $35,076 | $16.86 |
| 4 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $34,009 | $16.35 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $33,745 | $16.22 |
| 6 | Kailua, HI | $31,980 | $15.38 |
| 7 | Danbury, CT | $31,362 | $15.08 |
| 8 | Boulder, CO | $31,204 | $15.00 |
| 9 | Elmhurst, IL | $30,948 | $14.88 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $29,988 | $14.42 |
| 11 | Scottsdale, AZ | $28,596 | $13.75 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $28,503 | $13.70 |
| 13 | Pontiac, MI | $28,218 | $13.57 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $27,943 | $13.43 |
| 15 | Arlington, VA | $27,180 | $13.07 |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI | $27,024 | $12.99 |
| 17 | Arlington, TX | $25,460 | $12.24 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $25,193 | $12.11 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $25,044 | $12.04 |
| 20 | Atlanta, GA | $24,348 | $11.71 |
Food prep/dishwasher salary details
A food prep/dishwasher's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food prep/dishwasher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 75th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| Average | $29,964 | $2,497 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
Highest paying food prep/dishwasher jobs
The highest paying types of food prep/dishwashers are line cook/dishwasher, food handler, and prep cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Staff | $29,816 | $2,485 | $14.33 | 154,513 |
| Bakery Clerk | $28,651 | $2,388 | $13.77 | 67,778 |
| Deli Clerk | $32,240 | $2,687 | $15.50 | 69,311 |
| Kitchen Helper | $25,796 | $2,150 | $12.40 | 80,202 |
| Prep Cook | $32,292 | $2,691 | $15.53 | 168,265 |
| Sandwich Artist | $23,564 | $1,964 | $11.33 | 7,813 |
Top companies hiring food prep/dishwashers now:
Which companies pay food prep/dishwashers the most?
Food prep/dishwasher salaries at University of Wisconsin System and DCH Health System are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food prep/dishwasher salary at companies like Lunds & Byerlys and Nordstrom are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin System | $34,149 | $16.42 |
| 2 | DCH Health System | $33,404 | $16.06 |
| 3 | Lunds & Byerlys | $33,351 | $16.03 |
| 4 | Nordstrom | $33,049 | $15.89 |
| 5 | Berger Building Products | $32,508 | $15.63 |
| 6 | Chumash Casino Resort | $32,280 | $15.52 |
| 7 | Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc | $32,058 | $15.41 |
| 8 | Whole Foods Market | $31,908 | $15.34 |
| 9 | Compass Group USA | $31,849 | $15.31 |
| 10 | Trinity Health | $31,815 | $15.30 |
| 11 | Emory Healthcare | $31,643 | $15.21 |
| 12 | TPI | $31,633 | $15.21 |
| 13 | Wegmans Food Markets | $31,495 | $15.14 |
| 14 | Memorial Healthcare System | $31,256 | $15.03 |
| 15 | J.F. Shea Co | $30,976 | $14.89 |
| 16 | HealthTrust | $30,948 | $14.88 |
| 17 | Valley View Hospital | $30,683 | $14.75 |
| 18 | SAGE Dining Services | $30,604 | $14.71 |
| 19 | PLUM | $30,600 | $14.71 |
| 20 | Bashas' | $30,382 | $14.61 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Prep/Dishwasher salary by industry
The average food prep/dishwasher salary varies across industries:
- The average food prep/dishwasher salary in the professional industry is $30,657, the highest of any industry.
- The average food prep/dishwasher salary in the finance industry is $30,364.
- Food prep/dishwashers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $28,615, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for food prep/dishwashers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $30,657 | $14.74 |
| 2 | Retail | $30,364 | $14.60 |
| 3 | Government | $29,481 | $14.17 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $28,615 | $13.76 |
High paying food prep/dishwasher jobs
Food prep/dishwasher salary trends
The average food prep/dishwasher salary has risen by $7,816 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food prep/dishwasher earned $22,148 annually, but today, they earn $29,964 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for food prep/dishwashers over the last decade.
Compare food prep/dishwasher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food prep/dishwasher salary over time
Compare food prep/dishwasher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food prep/dishwasher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,000 | $14.41 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $28,500 | $13.70 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $27,300 | $13.11 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $26,100 | $12.56 | +5.7% |
| 2021 | $24,600 | $11.85 | +5.9% |
Recently added food prep/dishwasher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Savannah, GA | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Saint Paul, MN | 06/29/2025 | $34,436 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Asheville, NC | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Tampa, FL | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Brigham Young University-Hawaii | Dishwasher Food Production (Kitchen :00Pm PM, No Job ADD) | Laie, HI | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Richmond, VA | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Cambridge, MA | 06/27/2025 | $35,479 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Steward/Dishwasher-Athletics Food & Beverage | College Station, TX | 06/26/2025 | $31,305 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Commack, NY | 06/26/2025 | $36,523 |
| Whole Foods | Prepared Foods Dishwasher | Doylestown, PA | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
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