Food Preparation Worker Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of food preparation workers to shrink 3.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 27,200 fewer jobs), with about 135,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $35,320 a year ranks 803rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- -3.0%
- Openings a year
- 135,700
- Median pay
- $35,320
- Pay rank
- 803rd of 825
Is employment of food preparation workers growing or shrinking?
Shrinking: BLS projects employment of food preparation workers to fall 3.0% (about 27,200 fewer jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +4.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 17 food preparation and serving related occupations with a projection. That change ranks 681st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 908,500 |
| Employment, 2035 | 881,300 |
| Projected change | -3.0% |
| Openings a year | 135,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 908,500 jobs here differ from the 893,600 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 135,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 26th most of 830 occupations. All of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, since BLS projects no net new jobs.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for food preparation workers rank?
The median of $35,320 a year ranks 803rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: no formal educational credential.
- Typical on-the-job training: short-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | +12.1% | 218,600 | $37,390 |
| Cooks, Short Order | -5.2% | 17,400 | $35,880 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | +5.8% | 827,400 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | +2.8% | 62,900 | $37,450 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | +5.3% | 95,300 | $33,980 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | +4.5% | 48,800 | $35,360 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | +0.6% | 86,400 | $30,890 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | +6.6% | 25,200 | $62,470 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.