Food preparer demographics and statistics in the US
Food preparer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates food preparer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our food preparer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about food preparers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,596,762 food preparers currently employed in the United States.
- 53.4% of all food preparers are women, while 46.6% are men.
- The average food preparer age is 23 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of food preparers is White (57.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (6.9%).
- Food preparers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Commack, NY pays an annual average wage of $32,191, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women food preparers earned 101% of what men earned.
- Pennsylvania is the best state for food preparers to live.
- Food preparers are 70% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Food preparer demographics by:
Food preparer gender statistics
53.4% of food preparers are women and 46.6% of food preparers are men.
- Female, 53.4%
- Male, 46.6%
Food preparer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.4% |
| Male | 46.6% |
Food preparer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,426
Female income
$28,695
Food preparer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in food preparer positions over time. Currently, 53.4% of food preparers are female.
Food preparer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 41.10% | 58.90% |
| 2011 | 41.10% | 58.90% |
| 2012 | 45.24% | 54.76% |
| 2013 | 44.38% | 55.62% |
| 2014 | 46.99% | 53.01% |
| 2015 | 44.25% | 55.75% |
| 2016 | 46.60% | 53.40% |
| 2017 | 47.52% | 52.48% |
| 2018 | 47.69% | 52.31% |
| 2019 | 48.87% | 51.13% |
| 2020 | 48.03% | 51.97% |
| 2021 | 46.61% | 53.39% |
Food preparer related jobs gender ratio
We compared food preparers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, busboy/waiter and host/waiter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Barmaid | 5% | 95% |
| Head Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Bartender, Cook, And Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Food Preparer | 47% | 53% |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 86% | 14% |
| Host/Waiter | 90% | 10% |
| Busboy/Waiter | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Food preparer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among food preparers is White, which makes up 57.5% of all food preparers. Comparatively, 18.6% of food preparers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of food preparers are Black or African American.
- White, 57.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.6%
- Black or African American, 9.6%
- Unknown, 6.9%
- Asian, 6.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Food preparer race
| Food preparer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.6% |
| Black or African American | 9.6% |
| Unknown | 6.9% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Food preparer race and ethnicity over time
See how food preparer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Food preparer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.31% | 13.07% | 3.29% | 14.66% |
| 2011 | 66.24% | 14.53% | 3.52% | 12.64% |
| 2012 | 65.06% | 14.43% | 3.94% | 13.05% |
| 2013 | 64.18% | 13.75% | 3.69% | 14.97% |
| 2014 | 64.11% | 14.58% | 3.91% | 13.79% |
| 2015 | 64.38% | 13.39% | 4.87% | 13.68% |
| 2016 | 63.01% | 13.46% | 4.15% | 14.93% |
| 2017 | 61.71% | 13.46% | 4.79% | 15.03% |
| 2018 | 64.11% | 11.49% | 5.21% | 15.12% |
| 2019 | 62.41% | 10.01% | 6.21% | 17.04% |
| 2020 | 59.95% | 9.82% | 6.36% | 16.74% |
| 2021 | 57.47% | 9.64% | 6.49% | 18.63% |
Food preparer wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino food preparers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american food preparers have the lowest average salary at $27,914.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,270 |
| White | $28,396 |
| Black or African American | $27,914 |
| Asian | $28,756 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,806 |
Average food preparer age
See how the average age of food preparers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Food preparer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 22.5 | 21 |
| Unknown | 21 | 20.5 |
| Asian | 21 | 22 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21 | 22 |
| White | 21 | 21 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 21 |
Food preparer age breakdown
The average age of food preparers is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the food preparer population.
Food preparer age breakdown
| Food Preparer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Food preparer educational attainment
The most common degree for food preparers is high school diploma, with 41% of food preparers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 26% and bachelor's degree degree at 18%.
- High School Diploma, 41%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Food preparers by degree level
| Food preparer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 41% |
| Bachelor's | 26% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Food preparer jobs you might like
Food preparer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, food preparers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,609 annually. With a Associate degree, food preparers earn a median annual income of $29,135 compared to $27,619 for food preparers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,619 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,609 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,135 |
Food preparer employment statistics
Most food preparers work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where food preparers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where food preparers work.
Food preparer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 33% |
Food preparer jobs by company type
Employees with the food preparer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most food preparers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Food preparer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 23% |
| Private | 70% |
| Government | 2% |
Food preparer jobs by industry
The most common industries for food preparers are hospitality, retail and manufacturing.
Food preparer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 49% |
| Retail | 14% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Education | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Food preparer turnover and employment statistics
Food preparer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for food preparers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Food preparer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Food preparer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 14.75% |
| 2011 | 16.23% |
| 2012 | 13.34% |
| 2013 | 12.58% |
| 2014 | 10.04% |
| 2015 | 8.71% |
| 2016 | 10.19% |
| 2017 | 9.58% |
| 2018 | 9.31% |
| 2019 | 8.07% |
| 2020 | 9.90% |
| 2021 | 9.86% |
Average food preparer tenure
The average food preparer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,467 food preparers resumes in Zippia's database.
Food preparer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 44% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 8% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Food preparer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of food preparers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail Server | 6.48% | 74,674 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.82% | 58,519 |
| Food Preparer | 7.82% | - |
Similar food preparer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail Server | 6.48% | 74,674 |
| Food Porter | 6.98% | 57,175 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.82% | 58,519 |
Foreign languages spoken by food preparers
The most common foreign language among food preparers is Spanish at 69.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.9% and Italian is the third-most popular at 4.1%.
- Spanish, 69.4%
- French, 6.9%
- Italian, 4.1%
- Portuguese, 2.9%
- German, 2.9%
- Other, 13.8%
Food preparer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.4% |
| French | 6.9% |
| Italian | 4.1% |
| Portuguese | 2.9% |
| German | 2.9% |
| Other | 13.8% |
