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Food service attendant salary
Average food service attendant salary
$12.31
Understanding Food Service Attendant Salaries
The average salary for a Food Service Attendant is around $25,604 per year or $12 per hour. This varies significantly based on location, years of experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, attendants in metropolitan areas often earn higher wages compared to those in rural regions.
Salary Breakdown by State
States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled workers in the food service industry. Additionally, experience plays a key role; more seasoned attendants may command salaries upwards of $30,000 annually.
Industries with Higher Pay
Food Service Attendants can find lucrative opportunities in industries such as hospitality, healthcare, and catering, where roles may include specialized duties that warrant increased pay. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective employees make informed career choices.
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Where can a Food Service Attendant earn more?
Food service attendant salary estimates from across the web
Average food service attendant salary by state
The highest-paying states for food service attendants are Utah, Oregon, and New Hampshire. The lowest average food service attendant salary states are Florida, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food service attendants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $30,948 | $14.88 |
| 2 | Iowa | $27,754 | $13.34 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $30,824 | $14.82 |
| 4 | Washington | $30,627 | $14.72 |
| 5 | Arizona | $28,062 | $13.49 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $26,744 | $12.86 |
| 7 | Oregon | $30,893 | $14.85 |
| 8 | Vermont | $28,646 | $13.77 |
| 9 | Colorado | $27,966 | $13.45 |
| 10 | New York | $29,957 | $14.40 |
| 11 | Idaho | $28,347 | $13.63 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $27,043 | $13.00 |
| 13 | Ohio | $26,241 | $12.62 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $24,824 | $11.93 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $26,219 | $12.61 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $28,234 | $13.57 |
| 17 | Nevada | $25,364 | $12.19 |
| 18 | Kansas | $25,750 | $12.38 |
| 19 | California | $29,073 | $13.98 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $25,895 | $12.45 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $26,708 | $12.84 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $25,333 | $12.18 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $23,932 | $11.51 |
| 24 | Missouri | $25,733 | $12.37 |
| 25 | Delaware | $26,436 | $12.71 |
| 26 | Maine | $24,663 | $11.86 |
| 27 | Michigan | $23,551 | $11.32 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $25,880 | $12.44 |
| 29 | Montana | $24,865 | $11.95 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $24,943 | $11.99 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $23,118 | $11.11 |
| 32 | Alabama | $23,118 | $11.11 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $23,634 | $11.36 |
| 34 | Alaska | $23,173 | $11.14 |
| 35 | Indiana | $23,475 | $11.29 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $23,895 | $11.49 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $27,382 | $13.16 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $22,587 | $10.86 |
| 39 | Florida | $22,267 | $10.71 |
| 40 | Texas | $22,441 | $10.79 |
| 41 | Georgia | $23,007 | $11.06 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $22,408 | $10.77 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $26,107 | $12.55 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $21,582 | $10.38 |
| 45 | Virginia | $22,464 | $10.80 |
| 46 | Maryland | $23,677 | $11.38 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $21,784 | $10.47 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $22,246 | $10.70 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $22,315 | $10.73 |
| 50 | Illinois | $21,562 | $10.37 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $21,116 | $10.15 |
Highest paying cities for food service attendants
The highest-paying cities for food service attendants are Bend, OR, Olympia, WA, and Ithaca, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bend, OR | $30,940 | $14.88 |
| 2 | Olympia, WA | $30,886 | $14.85 |
| 3 | Ithaca, NY | $30,463 | $14.65 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $29,527 | $14.20 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $28,285 | $13.60 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $27,931 | $13.43 |
| 7 | Tucson, AZ | $27,736 | $13.33 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $27,035 | $13.00 |
| 9 | Canton, OH | $26,333 | $12.66 |
| 10 | Kansas City, MO | $25,894 | $12.45 |
| 11 | Kansas City, KS | $25,719 | $12.36 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $25,298 | $12.16 |
| 13 | Hammond, IN | $23,724 | $11.41 |
| 14 | White Lake, MI | $23,579 | $11.34 |
| 15 | Greer, SC | $23,295 | $11.20 |
| 16 | Anchorage, AK | $23,192 | $11.15 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $23,042 | $11.08 |
| 18 | Lubbock, TX | $22,930 | $11.02 |
| 19 | Orlando, FL | $22,271 | $10.71 |
Food service attendant salary details
A food service attendant's salary ranges from $19,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $33,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food service attendant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| Average | $25,604 | $2,134 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
| 10th Percentile | $19,000 | $1,583 | $9 |
Highest paying food service attendant jobs
The highest paying types of food service attendants are associate food scientist, counter attendant, and food handler.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Prep | $25,840 | $2,153 | $12.42 | 168,743 |
| Food Preparer | $27,717 | $2,310 | $13.33 | 134,113 |
| Food Runner | $25,536 | $2,128 | $12.28 | 240,853 |
| Attendant | $27,453 | $2,288 | $13.20 | 52,299 |
| Food Server | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12.12 | 125,455 |
| Food Service Coordinator | $32,085 | $2,674 | $15.43 | 79,537 |
Top companies hiring food service attendants now:
Which companies pay food service attendants the most?
Food service attendant salaries at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food service attendant salary at companies like Hyatt Hotels and Compass Group USA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $32,308 | $15.53 |
| 2 | Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES | $31,255 | $15.03 |
| 3 | Hyatt Hotels | $30,305 | $14.57 |
| 4 | Compass Group USA | $30,278 | $14.56 |
| 5 | St. Charles Health System | $29,837 | $14.34 |
| 6 | Piedmont Healthcare | $29,648 | $14.25 |
| 7 | St. Joseph Mantua | $29,648 | $14.25 |
| 8 | Great Wolf Resorts | $29,234 | $14.05 |
| 9 | AVI Foodsystems | $29,174 | $14.03 |
| 10 | Brooks-TLC Hospital System | $29,105 | $13.99 |
| 11 | New London Hospital | $28,905 | $13.90 |
| 12 | Tenet Healthcare | $28,771 | $13.83 |
| 13 | Providence Health & Services | $28,535 | $13.72 |
| 14 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $28,468 | $13.69 |
| 15 | Delaware North | $28,120 | $13.52 |
| 16 | Caliper Family of Companies | $28,007 | $13.46 |
| 17 | Sage Hospitality Group | $27,891 | $13.41 |
| 18 | Marriott International | $27,889 | $13.41 |
| 19 | Amphi Public Schools | $27,881 | $13.40 |
| 20 | University of Richmond | $27,752 | $13.34 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Service Attendant salary by industry
The average food service attendant salary varies across industries:
- The average food service attendant salary in the media industry is $27,152, the highest of any industry.
- The average food service attendant salary in the finance industry is $27,123.
- Food service attendants in the education industry earn an average salary of $26,557, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for food service attendants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $27,152 | $13.05 |
| 2 | Health Care | $27,123 | $13.04 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $26,800 | $12.88 |
| 4 | Education | $26,557 | $12.77 |
High paying food service attendant jobs
Food service attendant salary trends
The average food service attendant salary has risen by $5,785 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food service attendant earned $19,819 annually, but today, they earn $25,604 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for food service attendants over the last decade.
Compare food service attendant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food service attendant salary over time
Compare food service attendant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food service attendant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25,600 | $12.31 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $24,400 | $11.74 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $23,100 | $11.11 | +5.0% |
| 2022 | $21,900 | $10.55 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $21,100 | $10.16 | +2.7% |
Recently added food service attendant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Hitchcock | Food Service Attendant-Nutrition Services | Lebanon, NH | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Jubitz | Food Service-Moe's Deli Attendant | Portland, OR | 06/26/2025 | $36,001 |
| SSP Group | Food Service Attendant | Richmond, VA | 06/24/2025 | $41,239 |
| Skookum Contract Services | Food Service Attendant Lead | Silverdale, WA | 06/20/2025 | $47,625 |
| University of Arizona | Culinary and Food Services Attendant III | Tucson, AZ | 06/14/2025 | $34,436 |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority | Catering Attendant-Food & Nutrition Services (PRN/Intermittent) | Denver, CO | 06/12/2025 | $41,740 |
| Caesars Entertainment | Food Attendant (Food Hall)-(Horseshoe Hammond) | Hammond, IN | 06/10/2025 | $31,305 |
| Aramark Corp | Food Service Relief Checker-Uchicago Medicine-Ingalls Patient SVC & Retail | Harvey, IL | 06/05/2025 | $31,305 |
| SSP Group | Food Service Attendant | Sidney, OH | 05/30/2025 | $38,693 |
| Avolta | Fast Food Attendant | Grand Rapids, MI | 05/28/2025 | $33,392 |
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