Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary in the U.S.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in the U.S. earn a median of $41,590 a year ($20.00 an hour), based on BLS data for 31,250 workers.
Pay ranges from $31,680 for the lowest-paid 10% to $54,410 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $42,570, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for food cooking machine operators and tenders in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,680 | $15.23 |
| 25th percentile | $36,190 | $17.40 |
| Median | $41,590 | $20.00 |
| 75th percentile | $47,380 | $22.78 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $54,410 | $26.16 |
| Average (mean) | $42,570 | $20.47 |
Half of food cooking machine operators and tenders earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $3,465.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,732.92 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,599.62 |
| Weekly | $799.81 |
| Hourly | $20.00 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $41,590 salary, see how much house you can afford at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $51,100 | 310 |
| Utah | $48,620 | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $47,960 | 170 |
| Iowa | $47,900 | 850 |
| Michigan | $47,260 | 380 |
| Minnesota | $47,250 | 1,410 |
| Colorado | $46,900 | 300 |
| Kansas | $45,850 | 750 |
| New York | $45,680 | 1,300 |
| Tennessee | $45,620 | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $45,420 | 670 |
| Idaho | $45,120 | 790 |
| California | $44,740 | 2,010 |
| Oregon | $44,530 | 570 |
| Louisiana | $44,440 | 550 |
| Arizona | $44,050 | 560 |
| Indiana | $43,350 | 540 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,710 | 1,580 |
| Illinois | $42,670 | 2,460 |
| Missouri | $42,160 | 620 |
| Kentucky | $41,800 | 300 |
| Ohio | $41,160 | 980 |
| Arkansas | $40,480 | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $40,440 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $40,000 | 850 |
| South Dakota | $39,270 | 120 |
| North Carolina | $39,070 | 770 |
| Connecticut | $38,880 | 60 |
| Georgia | $38,440 | 690 |
| South Carolina | $38,220 | 520 |
| Maine | $37,500 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $37,180 | 430 |
| Maryland | $36,960 | n/a |
| Nevada | $36,610 | n/a |
| Florida | $36,450 | 970 |
| Oklahoma | $36,030 | 1,140 |
| Virginia | $35,140 | 510 |
| Texas | $33,980 | 3,180 |
| Delaware | $31,240 | n/a |
| Mississippi | $31,150 | 110 |
| Alabama | $27,080 | 250 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,480 | 220 |
Best-paying metro areas for food cooking machine operators and tenders
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $63,690 | 40 |
| Modesto, CA | $59,010 | 140 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $57,680 | 80 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $57,490 | 110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,190 | 190 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $55,270 | 190 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $51,600 | 190 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $51,560 | 70 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $50,330 | 40 |
| Dubuque, IA | $50,140 | 40 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $49,220 | 460 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $48,980 | 160 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $48,460 | 100 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $48,420 | 260 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $48,290 | 230 |
Metro areas with the most food cooking machine operators and tenders
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,900 | $44,280 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 880 | $41,590 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 850 | $35,240 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 600 | $32,180 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 530 | $30,340 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 520 | $36,740 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 510 | $38,890 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 490 | $39,790 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 460 | $49,220 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 390 | $41,800 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 370 | $46,350 |
| Boise City, ID | 360 | $45,120 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 330 | $35,350 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 320 | $42,760 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 300 | $45,260 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Baker | $37,160 | $17.86 |
| Food Batchmaker | $42,290 | $20.33 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | $38,300 | $18.41 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | $40,140 | $19.30 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | $40,130 | $19.29 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | $39,680 | $19.08 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | $44,810 | $21.54 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $44,650 | $21.47 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,450 | $35.79 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $48,570 | $23.35 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $53,750 | $25.84 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| Machinist | $58,750 | $28.24 |
| Production Workers, All Other | $40,110 | $19.29 |
More: Production Occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 51-3093. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a food cooking machine operators and tenders make in the U.S.?
The median salary for food cooking machine operators and tenders in the U.S. is $41,590 a year, or $20.00 an hour. Pay ranges from $31,680 for the lowest-paid 10% to $54,410 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid food cooking machine operators and tenders make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of food cooking machine operators and tenders in the U.S. earn at least $54,410 a year. The top 25% earn $47,380 or more.
What is the starting pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $31,680 a year, and a quarter of food cooking machine operators and tenders earn $36,190 or less.
How many food cooking machine operators and tenders work in the U.S.?
About 31,250 food cooking machine operators and tenders are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.