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Hostess salary estimate

$16.14hourly

$33,581 yearly

Entry-level salary
$20,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Hostess Salaries Overview

The average salary for a Hostess in 2025 is approximately $33,581. This figure reflects the standard pay across various roles and regions. For instance, Hostess employees typically earn about $16.14 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, with the highest-paying areas offering better compensation.

Salary by Location

Regions with a higher cost of living tend to provide salaries that exceed the national average. For example, major urban centers often report salaries above $40,000, reflecting the demand for skilled positions in these markets.

Departmental Salary Differences

Within Hostess, salaries also differ by department. Positions in management and specialized roles generally command higher wages compared to entry-level roles. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential.

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How much does Hostess pay by location?

The average Hostess salary varies by location. Hostess salaries are the highest in Chicago, IL, at $33,768 per year. Hostess pays the second highest average salary in Indianapolis, IN, at $31,224 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Hostess locations

RankLocationAverage Hostess salaryHourly rate
1Chicago, IL$33,768$16.23
2Indianapolis, IN$31,224$15.01
3Kansas City, KS$30,984$14.90

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Hostess salaries by department

Salaries at Hostess vary depending on the department you work in. Hostess salaries in the sales department are the highest with an average salary of $40,787. Employees in the warehouse department at Hostess receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $32,634 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Hostess include the retail and the customer service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $31,592 and $32,229, respectively.

Average Hostess salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Hostess salaryHourly rate
1Sales$40,787$19.61
2Warehouse$32,634$15.69
3Customer Service$32,229$15.49
4Retail$31,593$15.19

Hostess competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Hostess competitors, like Flowers Foods, Schmidt Baking, and Nestlé Waters North America, vary. Flowers Foods employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $48,438. The average salary at Schmidt Baking is $48,429 per year, and the average salary at Nestlé Waters North America is $43,376 per year.

Highest paying Hostess competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1Flowers Foods4.6$48,438
2Schmidt Baking4.2$48,429
3Nestlé Waters North America4.5$43,376
4Velvet Ice Cream3.7$42,746
5Wolverine World Wide4.4$42,464
6Schwan's4.6$41,605
7Pugs4.2$40,774
8Mrs Baird's Bakeries4.1$40,713
9HPFi4.1$40,636
10Klosterman Bread4.1$39,678
11Arrow Uniform4.2$36,916
12Morey's Seafood3.9$34,943
13Hardwoods Distribution3.8$32,705
14MidSouth Lumber & Supply3.7$32,425
15Butter Krust Baking Company Inc3.1$32,159
16The Lumber Yard3.8$31,733
17Anchor Land Holdings Inc.4.6$31,541
18Morgan Linen Service, Inc.4.0$31,471
19Carolina Furniture3.8$30,896
20Component Hardware Group4.1$30,536

Recently added Hostess salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Industrial Maintenance TechColumbus, GA06/17/2025$78,158
Production Sanitation-3Rd ShiftArkadelphia, AR06/13/2025$42,011
Quality Assurance AssociateIndianapolis, IN03/20/2025$56,349
Quality Assurance LeadIndianapolis, IN03/20/2025$60,523
Warehouse Worker I-2Nd ShiftEdgerton, KS03/10/2025$40,968

What employees say about salary at Hostess

Employee reviews
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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2023
Pros of working at Hostess

Good team environment also hands on instructions when needed good pay flexible hours

Cons of working at Hostess

Nothing

Hostess benefits

Working with my dad

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Frequently asked questions about Hostess salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Hostess, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Hostess. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Hostess. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Hostess. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Hostess and its employees or that of Zippia.

Hostess may also be known as or be related to Hostess, Hostess Brands LLC, INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORP and Interstate Bakeries Corp.