Food service/cashier demographics and statistics in the US
Food service/cashier demographics research summary. Zippia estimates food service/cashier demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our food service/cashier 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 service/cashiers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 4,474,938 food service/cashiers currently employed in the United States.
- 71.7% of all food service/cashiers are women, while 28.3% are men.
- The average food service/cashier age is 23 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of food service/cashiers is White (57.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (6.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 101% of what men earned.
- 8% of all food service/cashiers are LGBT.
- Food service/cashiers are 67% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Food service/cashier demographics by:
Food service/cashier gender statistics
71.7% of food service/cashiers are women and 28.3% of food service/cashiers are men.
- Female, 71.7%
- Male, 28.3%
Food service/cashier gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 71.7% |
| Male | 28.3% |
Food service/cashier gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$29,050
Female income
$29,265
Food service/cashier gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in food service/cashier positions over time. Currently, 71.7% of food service/cashiers are female.
Food service/cashier gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 23.97% | 76.03% |
| 2011 | 23.97% | 76.03% |
| 2012 | 27.18% | 72.82% |
| 2013 | 26.50% | 73.50% |
| 2014 | 28.60% | 71.40% |
| 2015 | 26.39% | 73.61% |
| 2016 | 28.28% | 71.72% |
| 2017 | 29.03% | 70.97% |
| 2018 | 29.17% | 70.83% |
| 2019 | 30.16% | 69.84% |
| 2020 | 29.46% | 70.54% |
| 2021 | 28.28% | 71.72% |
Food service/cashier related jobs gender ratio
We compared food service/cashiers 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 Service/Cashier | 28% | 72% |
| 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 service/cashier demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among food service/cashiers is White, which makes up 57.5% of all food service/cashiers. Comparatively, 18.6% of food service/cashiers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of food service/cashiers 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 service/cashier race
| Food service/cashier 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 service/cashier race and ethnicity over time
See how food service/cashier racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Food service/cashier 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 service/cashier wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino food service/cashiers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american food service/cashiers have the lowest average salary at $28,639.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,925 |
| White | $29,026 |
| Black or African American | $28,639 |
| Asian | $29,314 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $29,354 |
Average food service/cashier age
See how the average age of food service/cashiers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Food service/cashier 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 service/cashier age breakdown
The average age of food service/cashiers is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the food service/cashier population.
Food service/cashier age breakdown
| Food Service/Cashier Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Food service/cashier educational attainment
The most common degree for food service/cashiers is high school diploma, with 48% of food service/cashiers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 20% and bachelor's degree degree at 16%.
- High School Diploma, 48%
- Bachelor's, 20%
- Associate, 16%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Food service/cashiers by degree level
| Food service/cashier degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 48% |
| Bachelor's | 20% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Food service/cashier jobs you might like
Food service/cashier wage gap by degree level
According to the data, food service/cashiers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,992 annually. With a Associate degree, food service/cashiers earn a median annual income of $29,616 compared to $28,402 for food service/cashiers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $28,402 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,992 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,616 |
Food service/cashier employment statistics
Most food service/cashiers work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where food service/cashiers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where food service/cashiers work.
Food service/cashier jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 30% |
Food service/cashier jobs by company type
Employees with the food service/cashier job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most food service/cashiers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Food service/cashier jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 12% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 67% |
| Government | 1% |
Food service/cashier jobs by industry
The most common industries for food service/cashiers are hospitality, retail and education.
Food service/cashier industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 34% |
| Retail | 17% |
| Education | 11% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Media | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Food service/cashier turnover and employment statistics
Food service/cashier unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for food service/cashiers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Food service/cashier unemployment rate by year
| Year | Food service/cashier 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 service/cashier tenure
The average food service/cashier stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 22,684 food service/cashiers resumes in Zippia's database.
Food service/cashier tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 44% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 7% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 2% |
Food service/cashier LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of food service/cashiers 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 Waitress | 6.48% | 77,429 |
| Curber | 6.98% | 493 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.82% | 58,519 |
| Food Service/Cashier | 7.82% | - |
Similar food service/cashier jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail Waitress | 6.48% | 77,429 |
| Curber | 6.98% | 493 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.82% | 58,519 |
Foreign languages spoken by food service/cashiers
The most common foreign language among food service/cashiers is Spanish at 71.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.0% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 2.7%.
- Spanish, 71.5%
- French, 7.0%
- Japanese, 2.7%
- German, 2.4%
- Chinese, 2.2%
- Other, 14.2%
Food service/cashier languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 71.5% |
| French | 7.0% |
| Japanese | 2.7% |
| German | 2.4% |
| Chinese | 2.2% |
| Other | 14.2% |
