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Kitchen hand demographics and statistics in the US

Kitchen hand demographics research summary. Zippia estimates kitchen hand demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our kitchen hand estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about kitchen hands after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 79,363 kitchen hands currently employed in the United States.
  • 32.1% of all kitchen hands are women, while 67.9% are men.
  • The average kitchen hand age is 36 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of kitchen hands is White (54.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.6%), Asian (11.5%) and Black or African American (10.1%).
  • In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
  • 6% of all kitchen hands are LGBT.
  • Kitchen hands are 73% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
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Kitchen hand demographics by:

Kitchen hand gender statistics

32.1% of kitchen hands are women and 67.9% of kitchen hands are men.
  • Male, 67.9%
  • Female, 32.1%

Kitchen hand gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male67.9%
Female32.1%

Kitchen hand gender pay gap

Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$30,236
female-income
Female income
$29,633

Kitchen hand gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in kitchen hand positions over time. Currently, 32.1% of kitchen hands are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Kitchen hand gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201066.30%33.70%
201167.24%32.76%
201266.61%33.39%
201368.76%31.24%
201466.94%33.06%
201569.12%30.88%
201667.24%32.76%
201766.99%33.01%
201866.31%33.69%
201967.84%32.16%
202068.48%31.52%
202167.91%32.09%

Kitchen hand related jobs gender ratio

We compared kitchen hands 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 titleMaleFemale
Diet Clerk13%87%
Dietary Clerk16%84%
School Cafeteria Cook20%80%
Kitchen Hand68%32%
Line Cook/Dishwasher84%16%
Vacuum Kettle Cook87%13%
Saucier91%9%

Kitchen hand demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among kitchen hands is White, which makes up 54.2% of all kitchen hands. Comparatively, 17.6% of kitchen hands are Hispanic or Latino and 11.5% of kitchen hands are Asian.
  • White, 54.2%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 17.6%
  • Asian, 11.5%
  • Black or African American, 10.1%
  • Unknown, 5.4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%

Kitchen hand race

Kitchen hand racePercentages
White54.2%
Hispanic or Latino17.6%
Asian11.5%
Black or African American10.1%
Unknown5.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.2%

Kitchen hand race and ethnicity over time

See how kitchen hand racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Kitchen hand race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201061.55%9.27%10.58%15.12%
201160.64%9.80%10.83%15.15%
201260.27%10.11%10.26%15.42%
201360.23%9.56%10.31%16.00%
201459.69%9.87%10.52%15.90%
201559.51%9.60%10.73%16.05%
201658.67%9.49%10.88%16.58%
201759.05%8.68%11.24%16.61%
201860.36%8.66%10.66%15.73%
201959.07%9.50%11.04%16.06%
202056.11%10.20%11.63%15.84%
202154.22%10.11%11.49%17.63%

Kitchen hand wage gap by race

According to our data, hispanic or latino kitchen hands have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american kitchen hands have the lowest average salary at $29,893.
$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$30,332
White$30,027
Black or African American$29,893
Asian$30,457
Hispanic or Latino$30,475

Average kitchen hand age

See how the average age of kitchen hands varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Kitchen hand age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American3341
Unknown23.530.5
Asian4051
Hispanic or Latino2841
White2639
American Indian and Alaska Native32.5

Kitchen hand age breakdown

The average age of kitchen hands is 40+ years years old, representing 41% of the kitchen hand population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Kitchen hand age breakdown

Kitchen Hand YearsPercentages
40+ years41%
30-40 years17%
20-30 years29%

Kitchen hand educational attainment

The most common degree for kitchen hands is bachelor's degree, with 36% of kitchen hands earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 34% and high school diploma degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 36%
  • High School Diploma, 34%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

Kitchen hands by degree level

Kitchen hand degreePercentages
Bachelor's36%
High School Diploma34%
Associate13%
Diploma9%
Other Degrees8%

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Kitchen hand wage gap by degree level

According to the data, kitchen hands with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $30,811 annually. With a Associate degree, kitchen hands earn a median annual income of $30,127 compared to $29,912 for kitchen hands with an High School Diploma degree.
$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$29,912
Bachelor's Degree$30,811
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,127

Kitchen hand employment statistics

Most kitchen hands work for a private in the hospitality industry.

Company size where kitchen hands work

Below, you can see the size of companies where kitchen hands work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Kitchen hand jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees12%
50 - 100 employees16%
100 - 500 employees26%
500 - 1,000 employees10%
1,000 - 10,000 employees17%
> 10,000 employees20%

Kitchen hand jobs by company type

Employees with the kitchen hand job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most kitchen hands prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Kitchen hand jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education11%
Public15%
Private73%
Government1%

Kitchen hand jobs by industry

The most common industries for kitchen hands are hospitality, education and retail.

Hospitality

Education

Retail

Health Care

Manufacturing

Kitchen hand turnover and employment statistics

Kitchen hand unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for kitchen hands between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Kitchen hand unemployment rate by year

YearKitchen hand unemployment rate
201014.59%
201113.33%
201212.38%
201311.18%
20149.76%
20158.87%
20168.75%
20178.82%
20188.52%
20197.91%
202010.18%
20218.94%

Average kitchen hand tenure

The average kitchen hand stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 596 kitchen hands resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Kitchen hand tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year49%
1-2 years30%
3-4 years9%
5-7 years8%
8-10 years3%
11+ years1%

Kitchen hand LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of kitchen hands that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Vegetable Cook4.90%131,119
Kitchen Hand5.52%-
Waitress7.02%87,315
Gallery Host7.29%9,545
Lead Barista7.36%70,195
Bartender7.68%57,518
Caterer8.43%1,648

Similar kitchen hand jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Vegetable Cook4.90%131,119
Waitress7.02%87,315
Gallery Host7.29%9,545
Lead Barista7.36%70,195
Bartender7.68%57,518
Caterer8.43%1,648

Foreign languages spoken by kitchen hands

The most common foreign language among kitchen hands is Japanese at 25.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 16.7% and Spanish is the third-most popular at 16.7%.
  • Japanese, 25.0%
  • Chinese, 16.7%
  • Spanish, 16.7%
  • Mandarin, 16.7%
  • Vietnamese, 8.3%
  • Other, 16.6%

Kitchen hand languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Japanese25.0%
Chinese16.7%
Spanish16.7%
Mandarin16.7%
Vietnamese8.3%
Other16.6%

Kitchen hand jobs

Kitchen hand location demographics

Which city has the most Kitchen Hands?

By looking through more than 596 resumes, we found that the most popular places for kitchen hands are New York, NY and San Diego, CA.
Number of Kitchen Hands

Kitchen hand jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1California712$34,642
2Texas507$27,839
3Florida498$24,039
4Illinois372$31,469
5Georgia300$23,061
6Massachusetts290$36,936
7Pennsylvania277$27,915
8Michigan271$30,674
9Ohio268$26,464
10New York224$37,675
11Virginia223$28,757
12North Carolina211$26,588
13Colorado197$39,654
14Maryland191$28,290
15Arizona177$27,579
16Minnesota175$36,281
17New Jersey148$31,140
18Wisconsin147$31,865
19Washington141$40,723
20Indiana141$28,784
21Tennessee132$22,166
22Missouri122$25,015
23South Carolina112$26,560
24Connecticut101$34,952
25Iowa98$30,190
26Kentucky95$24,546
27Montana88$32,621
28Alabama86$21,882
29Kansas71$25,207
30Louisiana66$21,134
31Nebraska62$34,890
32Oregon62$38,144
33New Hampshire55$36,313
34Idaho49$26,903
35Arkansas47$23,907
36Utah44$33,565
37Mississippi44$22,407
38Nevada43$27,867
39New Mexico38$24,653
40Maine37$43,497
41Oklahoma35$25,546
42Delaware27$30,331
43West Virginia27$26,649
44Alaska24$42,776
45North Dakota24$34,724
46Wyoming23$28,232
47Rhode Island22$44,202
48District of Columbia14$36,148
49Hawaii12$30,992
50Vermont10$42,297
51South Dakota9$32,839

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