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Food service specialist salary
Average food service specialist salary
$14.08
Average Food Service Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Food Service Specialist in the United States is $29,286 per year, translating to approximately $14 per hour. These professionals play a vital role in various settings, managing food preparation and service.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors can impact a Food Service Specialist's salary:
- Experience: Entry-level positions may start at lower wages, while those with several years of experience can earn significantly more.
- Location: Salaries can vary widely by state and city, with urban areas often offering higher wages due to demand.
- Industry: Specialists working in healthcare, educational institutions, or upscale dining may command higher salaries compared to those in fast-food environments.
Comparison by State
States like California and New York tend to offer the highest salaries for this role, reflecting the higher cost of living and competitive job markets. On the other hand, states with a lower cost of living may offer less but still provide a stable income.
Career Opportunities
With a growing demand for food services, professionals in this field can find ample opportunities for advancement, particularly in management roles. Explore job openings to take your first step towards a rewarding career.
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Where can a Food Service Specialist earn more?
Food service specialist salaries by experience level
Food service specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average food service specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for food service specialists are New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The lowest average food service specialist salary states are Mississippi, New Mexico, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for food service specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $36,251 | $17.43 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $38,770 | $18.64 |
| 3 | Michigan | $33,719 | $16.21 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $33,948 | $16.32 |
| 5 | Maine | $33,476 | $16.09 |
| 6 | Delaware | $34,288 | $16.48 |
| 7 | New York | $44,172 | $21.24 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $38,665 | $18.59 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $33,852 | $16.27 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $31,195 | $15.00 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $39,003 | $18.75 |
| 12 | Vermont | $34,577 | $16.62 |
| 13 | Washington | $38,173 | $18.35 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $33,580 | $16.14 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $34,499 | $16.59 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $31,339 | $15.07 |
| 17 | Iowa | $29,696 | $14.28 |
| 18 | Colorado | $34,392 | $16.53 |
| 19 | California | $35,597 | $17.11 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $30,421 | $14.63 |
| 21 | Montana | $31,019 | $14.91 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,144 | $14.97 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $33,343 | $16.03 |
| 24 | Nevada | $29,006 | $13.95 |
| 25 | Alaska | $27,789 | $13.36 |
| 26 | Indiana | $28,012 | $13.47 |
| 27 | Oregon | $31,291 | $15.04 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $26,294 | $12.64 |
| 29 | Virginia | $29,410 | $14.14 |
| 30 | Florida | $27,252 | $13.10 |
| 31 | Kansas | $27,198 | $13.08 |
| 32 | Ohio | $28,853 | $13.87 |
| 33 | Maryland | $31,104 | $14.95 |
| 34 | Idaho | $28,287 | $13.60 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $25,989 | $12.49 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $26,400 | $12.69 |
| 37 | Illinois | $29,341 | $14.11 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $26,601 | $12.79 |
| 39 | Utah | $27,145 | $13.05 |
| 40 | Arizona | $25,927 | $12.46 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $32,015 | $15.39 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $23,969 | $11.52 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $23,480 | $11.29 |
| 44 | Texas | $25,741 | $12.38 |
| 45 | Georgia | $25,050 | $12.04 |
| 46 | Missouri | $26,244 | $12.62 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $25,584 | $12.30 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $22,604 | $10.87 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $23,660 | $11.38 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $23,963 | $11.52 |
| 51 | Alabama | $23,132 | $11.12 |
Highest paying cities for food service specialists
The highest-paying cities for food service specialists are New York, NY, Dublin, CA, and Brooklyn Park, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $44,070 | $21.19 |
| 2 | Dublin, CA | $37,007 | $17.79 |
| 3 | Brooklyn Park, MN | $36,293 | $17.45 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $34,460 | $16.57 |
| 5 | Kaneohe, HI | $33,342 | $16.03 |
| 6 | Corvallis, OR | $31,339 | $15.07 |
| 7 | Frederick, MD | $31,137 | $14.97 |
| 8 | Omaha, NE | $30,507 | $14.67 |
| 9 | Newport News, VA | $29,122 | $14.00 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $28,899 | $13.89 |
| 11 | Lafayette, IN | $28,114 | $13.52 |
| 12 | El Paso, TX | $27,275 | $13.11 |
| 13 | Ogden, UT | $27,199 | $13.08 |
| 14 | Columbia, MO | $26,414 | $12.70 |
| 15 | Fayetteville, NC | $26,020 | $12.51 |
| 16 | Enid, OK | $26,011 | $12.51 |
| 17 | Scottsdale, AZ | $25,974 | $12.49 |
| 18 | Fayetteville, AR | $23,970 | $11.52 |
| 19 | Jackson, MS | $23,888 | $11.48 |
| 20 | Anderson, SC | $23,757 | $11.42 |
Food service specialist salary details
A food service specialist's salary ranges from $19,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a food service specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| Average | $29,286 | $2,441 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
| 10th Percentile | $19,000 | $1,583 | $9 |
Highest paying food service specialist jobs
The highest paying types of food service specialists are executive chef, specialist, and chef de cuisine.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastry Cook | $34,858 | $2,905 | $16.76 | 136,754 |
| Line Cook | $32,895 | $2,741 | $15.81 | 168,993 |
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | $49,415 | $4,118 | $23.76 | 38,242 |
| Shift Leader | $33,841 | $2,820 | $16.27 | 229,485 |
| Sous Chef | $48,716 | $4,060 | $23.42 | 22,393 |
| Bar Manager/Bartender | $25,051 | $2,088 | $12.04 | 59,783 |
Top companies hiring food service specialists now:
Which companies pay food service specialists the most?
Food service specialist salaries at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Delaware State Government are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average food service specialist salary at companies like United States Institute of Peace and San Diego College of Continuing Education are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookhaven National Laboratory | $72,940 | $35.07 |
| 2 | Delaware State Government | $41,663 | $20.03 |
| 3 | United States Institute of Peace | $39,270 | $18.88 |
| 4 | San Diego College of Continuing Education | $37,862 | $18.20 |
| 5 | Louisiana State Police | $36,125 | $17.37 |
| 6 | PSEA | $35,382 | $17.01 |
| 7 | East Alabama Health | $33,949 | $16.32 |
| 8 | HonorHealth | $33,943 | $16.32 |
| 9 | P&G | $33,065 | $15.90 |
| 10 | DCH Health System | $32,813 | $15.78 |
| 11 | SpaceX | $32,611 | $15.68 |
| 12 | Gillette | $32,573 | $15.66 |
| 13 | The State of Oregon | $32,149 | $15.46 |
| 14 | Anderson Community Schools | $31,989 | $15.38 |
| 15 | Avera Health | $31,782 | $15.28 |
| 16 | HealthTrust | $31,721 | $15.25 |
| 17 | HireLevel | $31,488 | $15.14 |
| 18 | Prince William County | $31,378 | $15.09 |
| 19 | Whole Foods Market | $31,280 | $15.04 |
| 20 | Kelly Services | $31,249 | $15.02 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Food Service Specialist salary by industry
The average food service specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average food service specialist salary in the government industry is $39,427, the highest of any industry.
- The average food service specialist salary in the finance industry is $29,373.
- Food service specialists in the health care industry earn an average salary of $28,978, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for food service specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $39,427 | $18.96 |
| 2 | Retail | $29,373 | $14.12 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $29,054 | $13.97 |
| 4 | Health Care | $28,978 | $13.93 |
High paying food service specialist jobs
Food service specialist salary trends
The average food service specialist salary has risen by $4,253 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average food service specialist earned $25,033 annually, but today, they earn $29,286 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for food service specialists over the last decade.
Compare food service specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average food service specialist salary over time
Compare food service specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Food service specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $29,300 | $14.08 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $28,300 | $13.60 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $27,500 | $13.22 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $27,100 | $13.02 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $26,700 | $12.82 | +3.6% |
Recently added food service specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Food Prep Specialist | North Little Rock, AR | 06/30/2025 | $29,218 |
| Brighton Center Inc. | Food Service Specialist | Florence, KY | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Department of Corrections | Food Service Specialist | Helena, MT | 06/27/2025 | $31,603 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Food Service Specialist I | Lawton, OK | 06/27/2025 | $30,637 |
| University of Arkansas System | Food Prep Specialist | Little Rock, AR | 06/26/2025 | $29,218 |
| Norwich Free Academy | Food Service Compliance and Records Specialist | Norwich, CT | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Idea Public Schools | Food Service Specialist-Idea Lake Houston) | Houston, TX | 06/22/2025 | $33,183 |
| Department of Corrections | Food Service Specialist | McAlester, OK | 06/21/2025 | $31,603 |
| State of Louisiana | Food Service Specialist | Bossier City, LA | 06/19/2025 | $20,870 |
| Elkhart Community School District | Food Service Specialist (Fsmc Oversight) | Hope, IN | 06/17/2025 | $65,000 |
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