Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-3099

Food Processing Workers, All Other

Median pay sits 47% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Food Processing Workers, All Other: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

Highest-pay states for Food Processing Workers, All Other

State names lead when O*NET tasks are absent for this SOC, geography mass differs by occupation even when peer titles overlap.

  1. 1. Colorado $46,930
  2. 2. Idaho $46,820
  3. 3. North Dakota $45,120
  4. 4. Missouri $44,050
  5. 5. Illinois $45,340
  6. 6. Washington $43,980
  7. 7. Kansas $46,060
  8. 8. New Hampshire $45,410
  9. 9. Arizona $45,330
  10. 10. Vermont $43,300

Food Processing Workers, All Other vs other Production Occupations titles

Same BLS major group, ordered by national median.

  1. 1. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  2. 2. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  3. 3. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  4. 4. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  5. 5. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  6. 6. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  7. 7. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  8. 8. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  9. 9. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  10. 10. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  11. 11. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  12. 12. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-47%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $39,680/yr
$40K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
6,500
Annual openings
65,000
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Food Processing Workers, All Other sits 47% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $39,680.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 6,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Colorado at $46,930. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Food Processing Workers, All Other pay-rank #89 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Food Processing Workers, All Other lands at #89, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Food Processing Workers, All Other pays 47% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Food Processing Workers, All Other salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-3099

Colorado · top state for Food Processing Workers, All Other

$47K published median

Idaho · #2 state pay

$47K · behind Colorado

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Food Processing Workers, All Other · $107K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Food Processing Workers, All Other · $62K

Compare Food Processing Workers, All Other

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Food Processing Workers, All Other with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Food Processing Workers, All Other

Against another occupation

Power Distributors and Dispatchers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Food Processing Workers, All Other land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Food Processing Workers, All Other is pay-rank #89 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($40K), Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians ($39K), Production Workers, All Other ($40K), Slaughterers and Meat Packers ($40K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What is the OEWS national median for Food Processing Workers, All Other? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $39,680 as the national median for Food Processing Workers, All Other. The published 10th-90th range is $32,210 to $47,950. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Food Processing Workers, All Other? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Food Processing Workers, All Other is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 6,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Food Processing Workers, All Other? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Food Processing Workers, All Other. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Food Processing Workers, All Other? ▼
Colorado ($46,930), Idaho ($46,820), North Dakota ($45,120) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Food Processing Workers, All Other card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-3099. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Food Processing Workers, All Other. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics