Food service technician demographics and statistics in the US
Food service technician demographics research summary. Zippia estimates food service technician demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our food service technician 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 technicians after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 167,470 food service technicians currently employed in the United States.
- 57.3% of all food service technicians are women, while 42.7% are men.
- The average food service technician age is 23 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of food service technicians is White (57.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (9.6%) and Unknown (6.9%).
- Food service technicians are most in-demand in Orono, ME.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for food service technicians.
- 8% of all food service technicians are LGBT.
On this page
Food service technician demographics by:
Food service technician gender statistics
57.3% of food service technicians are women and 42.7% of food service technicians are men.
- Female, 57.3%
- Male, 42.7%
Food service technician gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 57.3% |
| Male | 42.7% |
Food service technician gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$34,640
Female income
$34,961
Food service technician gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in food service technician positions over time. Currently, 57.3% of food service technicians are female.
Food service technician gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.34% | 62.66% |
| 2011 | 37.34% | 62.66% |
| 2012 | 41.36% | 58.64% |
| 2013 | 40.53% | 59.47% |
| 2014 | 43.08% | 56.92% |
| 2015 | 40.39% | 59.61% |
| 2016 | 42.69% | 57.31% |
| 2017 | 43.60% | 56.40% |
| 2018 | 43.77% | 56.23% |
| 2019 | 44.94% | 55.06% |
| 2020 | 44.11% | 55.89% |
| 2021 | 42.71% | 57.29% |
Food service technician related jobs gender ratio
We compared food service technicians 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 Technician | 43% | 57% |
| 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 technician demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among food service technicians is White, which makes up 57.5% of all food service technicians. Comparatively, 18.6% of food service technicians are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of food service technicians 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 technician race
| Food service technician 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 technician race and ethnicity over time
See how food service technician racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Food service technician 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 technician wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino food service technicians have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american food service technicians have the lowest average salary at $34,026.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,452 |
| White | $34,603 |
| Black or African American | $34,026 |
| Asian | $35,033 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,094 |
Average food service technician age
See how the average age of food service technicians varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Food service technician 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 technician age breakdown
The average age of food service technicians is 20-30 years years old, representing 51% of the food service technician population.
Food service technician age breakdown
| Food Service Technician Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 3% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 51% |
Food service technician educational attainment
The most common degree for food service technicians is high school diploma, with 35% of food service technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 24% and bachelor's degree degree at 22%.
- High School Diploma, 35%
- Bachelor's, 24%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Food service technicians by degree level
| Food service technician degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 35% |
| Bachelor's | 24% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Food service technician jobs you might like
Food service technician wage gap by degree level
According to the data, food service technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $36,053 annually. With a Associate degree, food service technicians earn a median annual income of $35,487 compared to $33,674 for food service technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,674 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,053 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,487 |
Food service technician employment statistics
Most food service technicians work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where food service technicians work
Below, you can see the size of companies where food service technicians work.
Food service technician jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 24% |
Food service technician jobs by company type
Employees with the food service technician job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most food service technicians prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Food service technician jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 23% |
| Public | 14% |
| Private | 53% |
| Government | 11% |
Food service technician jobs by industry
The most common industries for food service technicians are health care, education and hospitality.
Food service technician industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 26% |
| Education | 20% |
| Hospitality | 13% |
| Government | 9% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Food service technician turnover and employment statistics
Food service technician unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for food service technicians between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Food service technician unemployment rate by year
| Year | Food service technician 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 technician tenure
The average food service technician stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,352 food service technicians resumes in Zippia's database.
Food service technician tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Food service technician LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of food service technicians 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Waitstaff Captain | 6.48% | 3,134 |
| Room Server | 6.98% | 98,112 |
| Drink Mixer | 7.82% | 1,025 |
| Food Service Technician | 7.82% | - |
Similar food service technician jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Waitstaff Captain | 6.48% | 3,134 |
| Room Server | 6.98% | 98,112 |
| Drink Mixer | 7.82% | 1,025 |
Foreign languages spoken by food service technicians
The most common foreign language among food service technicians is Spanish at 71.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.3% and German is the third-most popular at 7.1%.
- Spanish, 71.4%
- French, 14.3%
- German, 7.1%
- Hmong, 7.1%
Food service technician languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 71.4% |
| French | 14.3% |
| German | 7.1% |
| Hmong | 7.1% |
