The highest-paying states for combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $28,870, District of Columbia is the highest paying state for combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food. It is followed by Washington (average annual salary $25,430). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $28,870 |
$26,570 | 8,650 |
| 2 | Washington | $25,430 |
$24,170 | 80,590 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $25,070 |
$23,730 | 70,080 |
| 4 | Vermont | $24,770 |
$22,380 | 6,040 |
| 5 | California | $24,550 |
$22,410 | 406,630 |
| 6 | New York | $24,350 |
$21,650 | 189,740 |
| 7 | Alaska | $24,310 |
$21,720 | 4,010 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $24,180 |
$21,940 | 28,120 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $24,100 |
$19,340 | 7,700 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $23,960 |
$21,710 | 9,970 |
| 11 | Oregon | $23,820 |
$21,620 | 39,850 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $23,520 |
$21,020 | 14,250 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $23,320 |
$20,850 | 66,060 |
| 14 | Colorado | $23,220 |
$21,230 | 65,670 |
| 15 | Arizona | $22,900 |
$21,850 | 64,570 |
| 16 | Maryland | $22,370 |
$19,620 | 54,850 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $22,060 |
$19,760 | 25,280 |
| 18 | Montana | $21,390 |
$18,360 | 12,670 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $21,120 |
$16,790 | 14,750 |
| 20 | Maine | $20,980 |
$20,810 | 8,550 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $20,860 |
$18,780 | 45,320 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $20,830 |
$19,030 | 8,860 |
| 23 | Illinois | $20,780 |
$18,430 | 144,260 |
| 24 | Virgin Islands | $20,660 |
$20,220 | 210 |
| 25 | Guam | $20,530 |
$18,230 | 140 |
| 26 | Nevada | $20,520 |
$16,660 | 39,520 |
| 27 | Michigan | $20,420 |
$19,390 | 123,890 |
| 28 | Iowa | $19,920 |
$16,620 | 39,190 |
| 29 | Delaware | $19,820 |
$18,150 | 11,390 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $19,790 |
$18,760 | 21,890 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $19,670 |
$16,500 | 5,460 |
| 32 | Texas | $19,640 |
$16,570 | 389,740 |
| 33 | Florida | $19,590 |
$17,920 | 226,370 |
| 34 | Missouri | $19,580 |
$17,350 | 77,770 |
| 35 | Utah | $19,400 |
$16,520 | 43,840 |
| 36 | Ohio | $19,360 |
$17,930 | 160,070 |
| 37 | Virginia | $19,320 |
$16,470 | 96,410 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $19,250 |
$16,450 | 152,980 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $19,220 |
$18,330 | 38,540 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $19,210 |
$16,480 | 75,340 |
| 41 | Kansas | $19,080 |
$16,360 | 34,360 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $18,990 |
$16,720 | 23,900 |
| 43 | Idaho | $18,960 |
$16,360 | 12,130 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $18,910 |
$16,430 | 72,600 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $18,890 |
$16,430 | 147,170 |
| 46 | Indiana | $18,820 |
$16,380 | 94,470 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $18,730 |
$16,460 | 17,510 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $18,600 |
$16,300 | 65,410 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $18,600 |
$16,330 | 27,860 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $18,520 |
$16,290 | 32,190 |
| 51 | Georgia | $18,510 |
$16,290 | 136,200 |
| 52 | South Carolina | $18,330 |
$16,200 | 71,480 |
| 53 | Alabama | $18,320 |
$16,190 | 62,030 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $18,130 |
$16,310 | 13,720 |