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Job outlook for food service specialists in the United States
Food service specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected food service specialist job growth rate is 2% from 2018-2028.
About 17,700 new jobs for food service specialists are projected over the next decade.
Food service specialist salaries have increased 10% for food service specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 33,251 food service specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 95,112 active food service specialist job openings in the US.
The average food service specialist salary is $29,286.
Are food service specialist jobs in demand?
Yes, food service specialist jobs are in demand. Food service specialist demand is projected to grow 2% from 2018 to 2028.
Food service specialist job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of food service specialist jobs and the average food service specialist salary over time.
Food service specialist jobs over time
Food service specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,251 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 28,488 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 32,309 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 30,816 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 29,635 | 0.01% |
Average food service specialist salary over time
Food service specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,286 | $14.08 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $28,295 | $13.60 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $27,490 | $13.22 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $27,075 | $13.02 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $26,668 | $12.82 | +3.8% |
Food service specialist jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of food service specialist job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where food service specialists earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for food service specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 993 | 32% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,493 | 26% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,355 | 24% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 228 | 24% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 173 | 23% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 287 | 21% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 144 | 21% |
| 8 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 267 | 20% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 173 | 20% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,315 | 19% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 113 | 18% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 106 | 18% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,734 | 17% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 332 | 17% |
| 15 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 128 | 17% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,368 | 16% |
| 17 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 808 | 16% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 455 | 16% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 165 | 16% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 529 | 15% |
Most common cities for food service specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington | 4 | 9% | $34,530 |
| 2 | Benton | 2 | 6% | $23,366 |
| 3 | Clarksville | 3 | 2% | $26,788 |
| 4 | Fargo | 3 | 2% | $33,708 |
| 5 | El Cajon | 2 | 2% | $34,319 |
| 6 | Minneapolis | 5 | 1% | $36,250 |
| 7 | Cincinnati | 3 | 1% | $27,351 |
| 8 | Arlington | 2 | 1% | $25,794 |
| 9 | Chula Vista | 2 | 1% | $34,281 |
| 10 | Escondido | 2 | 1% | $34,487 |
| 11 | Houston | 7 | 0% | $25,290 |
| 12 | San Antonio | 7 | 0% | $25,616 |
| 13 | San Diego | 5 | 0% | $34,363 |
| 14 | Fort Worth | 4 | 0% | $25,831 |
| 15 | Austin | 3 | 0% | $25,597 |
| 16 | El Paso | 3 | 0% | $27,275 |
| 17 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $29,439 |
| 18 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $33,752 |
| 19 | Fresno | 2 | 0% | $36,384 |