Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
The median food cooking machine operators and tenders salary in the United States is $41,590 per year ($20.00/hour). Salaries range from $31,680 at the entry level to $54,410+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 31,250 food cooking machine operators and tenders jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 0.6% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 · Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median Salary
$41,590
per year
Hourly Rate
$20.00
per hour
Employment
31,250
jobs in the U.S.
Salary Distribution
10th percentile
$31,680
25th percentile
$36,190
Median
$41,590
75th percentile
$47,380
90th percentile
$54,410
Job Growth (2024-2034)
+0.6%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
4,400
jobs/year (growth + replacements)
Education Required
High school diploma or equivalent
Training Needed
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →Salary Map — Click a state for details
$27K$51K■ No data
Top Paying States
Washington
$51K
+23%
Utah
$49K
+17%
Massachusetts
$48K
+15%
Iowa
$48K
+15%
Michigan
$47K
+14%
Minnesota
$47K
+14%
Colorado
$47K
+13%
Kansas
$46K
+10%
New York
$46K
+10%
Tennessee
$46K
+10%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $51,100 | +22.9% |
| Utah | $48,620 | +16.9% |
| Massachusetts | $47,960 | +15.3% |
| Iowa | $47,900 | +15.2% |
| Michigan | $47,260 | +13.6% |
| Minnesota | $47,250 | +13.6% |
| Colorado | $46,900 | +12.8% |
| Kansas | $45,850 | +10.2% |
| New York | $45,680 | +9.8% |
| Tennessee | $45,620 | +9.7% |
Showing 1–10 of 41
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $63,690 | +53.1% |
| Modesto, CA | $59,010 | +41.9% |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $57,680 | +38.7% |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $57,490 | +38.2% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,190 | +35.1% |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $55,270 | +32.9% |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $51,600 | +24.1% |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $51,560 | +24.0% |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $50,330 | +21.0% |
| Dubuque, IA | $50,140 | +20.6% |
Showing 1–10 of 87
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
How does this compare to pro athletes?
A food cooking machine operators and tenders earning $41,590/year would need 1433 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 1539 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
See all sports & celebrity salaries →📈 See how food cooking machine operators and tenders salaries have changed over the past decade.
View Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary trend (2011–2024) →