Food service worker demographics and statistics in the US
Food service worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates food service worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our food service worker 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 workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 307,016 food service workers currently employed in the United States.
- 63.4% of all food service workers are women, while 36.6% are men.
- The average food service worker age is 36 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of food service workers is White (58.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.7%), Black or African American (12.3%) and Asian (7.1%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 6% of all food service workers are LGBT.
- Food service workers are 61% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Food service worker demographics by:
Food service worker gender statistics
63.4% of food service workers are women and 36.6% of food service workers are men.
- Female, 63.4%
- Male, 36.6%
Food service worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 63.4% |
| Male | 36.6% |
Food service worker gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$29,600
Female income
$29,031
Food service worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in food service worker positions over time. Currently, 63.4% of food service workers are female.
Food service worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 34.91% | 65.09% |
| 2011 | 35.88% | 64.12% |
| 2012 | 35.23% | 64.77% |
| 2013 | 37.50% | 62.50% |
| 2014 | 35.57% | 64.43% |
| 2015 | 37.90% | 62.10% |
| 2016 | 35.88% | 64.12% |
| 2017 | 35.62% | 64.38% |
| 2018 | 34.92% | 65.08% |
| 2019 | 36.52% | 63.48% |
| 2020 | 37.20% | 62.80% |
| 2021 | 36.58% | 63.42% |
Food service worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared food service workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, saucier and vacuum kettle cook have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Clerk | 13% | 87% |
| Dietary Clerk | 16% | 84% |
| School Cafeteria Cook | 20% | 80% |
| Food Service Worker | 37% | 63% |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | 84% | 16% |
| Vacuum Kettle Cook | 87% | 13% |
| Saucier | 91% | 9% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Food service worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among food service workers is White, which makes up 58.1% of all food service workers. Comparatively, 16.7% of food service workers are Hispanic or Latino and 12.3% of food service workers are Black or African American.
- White, 58.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.7%
- Black or African American, 12.3%
- Asian, 7.1%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Food service worker race
| Food service worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.7% |
| Black or African American | 12.3% |
| Asian | 7.1% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Food service worker race and ethnicity over time
See how food service worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Food service worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.40% | 11.43% | 6.20% | 14.23% |
| 2011 | 64.50% | 11.97% | 6.45% | 14.26% |
| 2012 | 64.12% | 12.27% | 5.88% | 14.53% |
| 2013 | 64.09% | 11.72% | 5.93% | 15.12% |
| 2014 | 63.55% | 12.03% | 6.14% | 15.01% |
| 2015 | 63.36% | 11.77% | 6.35% | 15.16% |
| 2016 | 62.53% | 11.66% | 6.50% | 15.70% |
| 2017 | 62.90% | 10.84% | 6.86% | 15.72% |
| 2018 | 64.21% | 10.82% | 6.28% | 14.85% |
| 2019 | 62.93% | 11.66% | 6.66% | 15.17% |
| 2020 | 59.96% | 12.36% | 7.25% | 14.95% |
| 2021 | 58.08% | 12.27% | 7.11% | 16.74% |
Food service worker wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino food service workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american food service workers have the lowest average salary at $29,276.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $29,691 |
| White | $29,403 |
| Black or African American | $29,276 |
| Asian | $29,809 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $29,826 |
Average food service worker age
See how the average age of food service workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Food service worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 33 | 41 |
| Unknown | 23.5 | 30.5 |
| Asian | 40 | 51 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 28 | 41 |
| White | 26 | 39 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 32.5 |
Food service worker age breakdown
The average age of food service workers is 40+ years years old, representing 41% of the food service worker population.
Food service worker age breakdown
| Food Service Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 41% |
| 30-40 years | 17% |
| 20-30 years | 29% |
Food service worker educational attainment
The most common degree for food service workers is high school diploma, with 44% of food service workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 17%.
- High School Diploma, 44%
- Bachelor's, 21%
- Associate, 17%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Food service workers by degree level
| Food service worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 44% |
| Bachelor's | 21% |
| Associate | 17% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Food service worker jobs you might like
Food service worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, food service workers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $30,144 annually. With a Associate degree, food service workers earn a median annual income of $29,497 compared to $29,294 for food service workers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,294 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $30,144 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,497 |
Food service worker employment statistics
Most food service workers work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where food service workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where food service workers work.
Food service worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 36% |
| > 10,000 employees | 30% |
Food service worker jobs by company type
Employees with the food service worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most food service workers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Food service worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 22% |
| Public | 14% |
| Private | 61% |
| Government | 4% |
Food service worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for food service workers are hospitality, health care and education.
Food service worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 25% |
| Health Care | 22% |
| Education | 18% |
| Retail | 10% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Government | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Food service worker turnover and employment statistics
Food service worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for food service workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Food service worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Food service worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 14.59% |
| 2011 | 13.33% |
| 2012 | 12.38% |
| 2013 | 11.18% |
| 2014 | 9.76% |
| 2015 | 8.87% |
| 2016 | 8.75% |
| 2017 | 8.82% |
| 2018 | 8.52% |
| 2019 | 7.91% |
| 2020 | 10.18% |
| 2021 | 8.94% |
Average food service worker tenure
The average food service worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 60,904 food service workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Food service worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 34% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Food service worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of food service workers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cook | 4.90% | 250,354 |
| Food Service Worker | 5.52% | - |
| Head Server | 7.02% | 64,405 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Mixologist | 7.68% | 53,872 |
| Cook And Assistant Manager | 8.43% | 192,808 |
Similar food service worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cook | 4.90% | 250,354 |
| Head Server | 7.02% | 64,405 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Mixologist | 7.68% | 53,872 |
| Cook And Assistant Manager | 8.43% | 192,808 |
Foreign languages spoken by food service workers
The most common foreign language among food service workers is Spanish at 65.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.2% and German is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 65.1%
- French, 7.2%
- German, 5.0%
- Chinese, 3.2%
- Mandarin, 2.9%
- Other, 16.6%
Food service worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.1% |
| French | 7.2% |
| German | 5.0% |
| Chinese | 3.2% |
| Mandarin | 2.9% |
| Other | 16.6% |
