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Food service assistant salary
Average food service assistant salary
$14.11
Average Food Service Assistant Salary
The average salary for a Food Service Assistant is around $29,354 per year or $14 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly depending on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the type of establishment you work in.
Salary by Experience Level
Food Service Assistants with more experience typically see higher wages. Entry-level positions start around $25,000 annually, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $35,000.
Where Can You Earn More?
The highest paying states for Food Service Assistants include California, New York, and Washington, where the cost of living is higher but salaries are more competitive. In addition, working in hospitals or upscale restaurants can offer better pay compared to fast-food outlets.
Job Opportunities
With a growing demand for food service professionals in various sectors, there are numerous job opportunities available. Consider exploring roles in schools, hospitals, and catering services, as these often provide stable hours and benefits.
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Where can a Food Service Assistant earn more?
Food service assistant salaries by experience level
Food service assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average food service assistant salary by state
The average food service assistant salary in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average food service assistant salary states are Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food service assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $31,247 | $15.02 |
| 2 | New York | $33,145 | $15.94 |
| 3 | Michigan | $29,187 | $14.03 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $33,216 | $15.97 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $30,438 | $14.63 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $27,297 | $13.12 |
| 7 | Maine | $29,375 | $14.12 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $27,701 | $13.32 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $33,106 | $15.92 |
| 10 | Washington | $31,428 | $15.11 |
| 11 | Utah | $28,721 | $13.81 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $27,657 | $13.30 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $26,534 | $12.76 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $28,688 | $13.79 |
| 15 | Ohio | $26,334 | $12.66 |
| 16 | Vermont | $30,469 | $14.65 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $34,543 | $16.61 |
| 18 | Colorado | $29,728 | $14.29 |
| 19 | Alaska | $27,545 | $13.24 |
| 20 | Delaware | $29,267 | $14.07 |
| 21 | Oregon | $29,923 | $14.39 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $27,111 | $13.03 |
| 23 | California | $31,798 | $15.29 |
| 24 | Montana | $26,931 | $12.95 |
| 25 | Nevada | $25,784 | $12.40 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $24,273 | $11.67 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $24,910 | $11.98 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $29,291 | $14.08 |
| 29 | Arizona | $26,390 | $12.69 |
| 30 | Iowa | $23,881 | $11.48 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $24,370 | $11.72 |
| 32 | Kansas | $25,405 | $12.21 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $24,669 | $11.86 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $25,454 | $12.24 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $23,868 | $11.47 |
| 36 | Idaho | $25,083 | $12.06 |
| 37 | Maryland | $26,861 | $12.91 |
| 38 | Illinois | $25,826 | $12.42 |
| 39 | Florida | $23,495 | $11.30 |
| 40 | Virginia | $24,503 | $11.78 |
| 41 | Indiana | $23,237 | $11.17 |
| 42 | Texas | $22,963 | $11.04 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $22,712 | $10.92 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $21,385 | $10.28 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $20,252 | $9.74 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $22,442 | $10.79 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $21,981 | $10.57 |
| 48 | Missouri | $23,045 | $11.08 |
| 49 | Georgia | $20,580 | $9.89 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $19,138 | $9.20 |
| 51 | Alabama | $18,954 | $9.11 |
Highest paying cities for food service assistants
The highest-paying cities for food service assistants are Springfield, MA, New York, NY, and Lincoln, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield, MA | $33,219 | $15.97 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $33,077 | $15.90 |
| 3 | Lincoln, CA | $32,693 | $15.72 |
| 4 | Vancouver, WA | $31,965 | $15.37 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $31,241 | $15.02 |
| 6 | Eugene, OR | $30,241 | $14.54 |
| 7 | Fort Collins, CO | $29,912 | $14.38 |
| 8 | Kaneohe, HI | $29,370 | $14.12 |
| 9 | Clinton, MI | $29,257 | $14.07 |
| 10 | Fargo, ND | $28,826 | $13.86 |
| 11 | Salt Lake City, UT | $28,760 | $13.83 |
| 12 | Sioux Falls, SD | $27,677 | $13.31 |
| 13 | Nashua, NH | $27,671 | $13.30 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $27,298 | $13.12 |
| 15 | Prescott, AZ | $26,767 | $12.87 |
| 16 | Asheville, NC | $26,513 | $12.75 |
| 17 | Henderson, NV | $25,510 | $12.26 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $25,501 | $12.26 |
| 19 | Olathe, KS | $25,471 | $12.25 |
| 20 | Arlington, VA | $25,111 | $12.07 |
Food service assistant salary details
A food service assistant's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $36,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food service assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 75th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| Average | $29,354 | $2,446 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying food service assistant jobs
The highest paying types of food service assistants are associate food scientist, assistant, and culinary assistant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Cook | $32,895 | $2,741 | $15.81 | 168,993 |
| Cafeteria Worker | $24,465 | $2,039 | $11.76 | 31,802 |
| Food Prep | $25,840 | $2,153 | $12.42 | 168,743 |
| Food Server | $25,209 | $2,101 | $12.12 | 125,455 |
| Food Service Worker | $28,753 | $2,396 | $13.82 | 169,323 |
| Food Service Coordinator | $32,085 | $2,674 | $15.43 | 79,537 |
Top companies hiring food service assistants now:
Which companies pay food service assistants the most?
Food service assistant salaries at Fremont Public Schools and Costco Wholesale are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food service assistant salary at companies like And Partners and Benicia Unified School District are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremont Public Schools | $37,475 | $18.02 |
| 2 | Costco Wholesale | $37,061 | $17.82 |
| 3 | And Partners | $37,012 | $17.79 |
| 4 | Benicia Unified School District | $34,927 | $16.79 |
| 5 | Rowland Unified School District | $34,540 | $16.61 |
| 6 | Jefferson Elementary School District | $34,400 | $16.54 |
| 7 | The Prairie School | $33,957 | $16.33 |
| 8 | Washington State University | $33,929 | $16.31 |
| 9 | Worthington Industries | $33,926 | $16.31 |
| 10 | Lawndale Elementary School District | $33,922 | $16.31 |
| 11 | Peoria Unified School District | $33,816 | $16.26 |
| 12 | Huntington Beach Union High School District | $33,528 | $16.12 |
| 13 | Victor Valley Union High School District | $33,404 | $16.06 |
| 14 | Alameda Unified | $33,138 | $15.93 |
| 15 | California Montessori Project | $32,874 | $15.80 |
| 16 | Sutter Health | $32,838 | $15.79 |
| 17 | WakeMed | $32,732 | $15.74 |
| 18 | Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital | $32,698 | $15.72 |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin System | $32,390 | $15.57 |
| 20 | Salinas Union High School District | $32,253 | $15.51 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Service Assistant salary by industry
The average food service assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average food service assistant salary in the retail industry is $35,561, the highest of any industry.
- The average food service assistant salary in the finance industry is $30,565.
- Food service assistants in the government industry earn an average salary of $28,077, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for food service assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $35,561 | $17.10 |
| 2 | Transportation | $30,565 | $14.69 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $29,610 | $14.24 |
| 4 | Health Care | $29,556 | $14.21 |
| 5 | Education | $29,034 | $13.96 |
| 6 | Government | $28,077 | $13.50 |
High paying food service assistant jobs
Food service assistant salary trends
The average food service assistant salary has risen by $7,657 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food service assistant earned $21,697 annually, but today, they earn $29,354 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for food service assistants over the last decade.
Compare food service assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food service assistant salary over time
Compare food service assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food service assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,400 | $14.11 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $27,900 | $13.42 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $26,700 | $12.85 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $25,600 | $12.30 | +5.7% |
| 2021 | $24,100 | $11.61 | +5.9% |
Recently added food service assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guthrie North America Inc. | Food Service Assistant-Food Service | Cortland, NY | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Pico de Gallo | Assistant Food Service | Meridian, MS | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| The University of Alabama | Food Preparation Assistant-Regular (Benefits Eligible) | Tuscaloosa, AL | 06/28/2025 | $36,022 |
| Wellspan Health | Food Services Assistant-Philhaven-Day/Evening | Lebanon, PA | 06/27/2025 | $35,479 |
| Four County Health and Rehabilitation | Food Service Assistant | Richland, GA | 06/27/2025 | $29,218 |
| City of Fort Wayne, In | Food Service Assistant-Conservatory Cafe | Fort Wayne, IN | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
| Seattle Colleges | Food Pantry Assistant | Seattle, WA | 06/27/2025 | $50,359 |
| Heritage Inn Health and Rehabilitation | Food Service Assistant | Statesboro, GA | 06/27/2025 | $29,218 |
| Oakviewwaverlyhall | Food Service Assistant | Macon, GA | 06/27/2025 | $29,218 |
| Kwik Trip, Inc. | Assistant Food Maanger | La Crosse, WI | 06/26/2025 | $33,392 |
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