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Job outlook for food preparers in the United States
Food preparer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected food preparer job growth rate is 14% from 2018-2028.
About 775,300 new jobs for food preparers are projected over the next decade.
Food preparer salaries have increased 21% for food preparers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,596,762 food preparers currently employed in the United States.
There are 134,113 active food preparer job openings in the US.
The average food preparer salary is $27,717.
Are food preparer jobs in demand?
Yes, food preparer jobs are in demand. Food preparer demand is projected to grow 14% from 2018 to 2028.
Food preparer job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of food preparer jobs and the average food preparer salary over time.
Food preparer jobs over time
Food preparer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,596,762 | 0.47% |
| 2020 | 1,766,011 | 0.53% |
| 2019 | 2,036,145 | 0.61% |
| 2018 | 2,285,505 | 0.69% |
| 2017 | 2,230,382 | 0.68% |
Average food preparer salary over time
Food preparer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,717 | $13.33 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $26,426 | $12.70 | +5.7% |
| 2023 | $25,009 | $12.02 | +5.3% |
| 2022 | $23,749 | $11.42 | +3.8% |
| 2021 | $22,879 | $11.00 | +2.8% |
Food preparer jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of food preparer job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where food preparers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for food preparers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,497 | 18% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 106 | 18% |
| 3 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,116 | 17% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,000 | 17% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 925 | 17% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 523 | 17% |
| 7 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 305 | 17% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 164 | 17% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 123 | 17% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,047 | 16% |
| 11 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 960 | 16% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 135 | 16% |
| 13 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,705 | 15% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,570 | 15% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,451 | 15% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 858 | 15% |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 649 | 15% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 195 | 15% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,743 | 14% |
| 20 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 970 | 14% |
Most common cities for food preparers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | 3 | 11% | $30,818 |
| 2 | San Carlos | 2 | 7% | $30,892 |
| 3 | Kent | 2 | 2% | $23,665 |
| 4 | Wilmington | 2 | 2% | $27,184 |
| 5 | East Orange | 1 | 2% | $25,780 |
| 6 | Anchorage | 2 | 1% | $25,192 |
| 7 | Tacoma | 2 | 1% | $23,680 |
| 8 | Auburn | 1 | 1% | $23,668 |
| 9 | Bellevue | 1 | 1% | $23,656 |
| 10 | Columbus | 1 | 1% | $20,568 |
| 11 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $31,996 |
| 12 | Seattle | 2 | 0% | $23,662 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $20,668 |
| 14 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $29,019 |
| 15 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $22,687 |