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How Much Does a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender Make?
A food cooking machine operator and tender in the US earns a median salary of $41,590 a year, or $20.00 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $42,570, and the middle half earn between $36,190 and $47,380.
Food cooking machine operator and tender pay range
What food cooking machine operators and tenders earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $31,680 | $15.23 | |
| 25th | $36,190 | $17.40 | |
| Median (50th) | $41,590 | $20.00 | |
| 75th | $47,380 | $22.78 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $54,410 | $26.16 |
The median is 18% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 31,250 people work as food cooking machine operators and tenders in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $800
- Every two weeks
- $1,600
- Twice a month
- $1,733
- A month
- $3,466
At the median salary, before tax.
Food cooking machine operator and tender salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Washington pays food cooking machine operators and tenders the most, at $51,220 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $51,220 | $51,100 | 310 | After tax |
| Idaho | $50,040 | $45,120 | 790 | After tax |
| Colorado | $48,680 | $46,900 | 300 | After tax |
| Iowa | $48,370 | $47,900 | 850 | After tax |
| Michigan | $48,070 | $47,260 | 380 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $47,980 | $47,250 | 1,410 | After tax |
| New York | $47,150 | $45,680 | 1,300 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $46,920 | $45,620 | 1,820 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $46,640 | $47,960 | 170 | After tax |
| California | $45,060 | $44,740 | 2,010 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $45,030 | $45,420 | 670 | After tax |
| Indiana | $44,770 | $43,350 | 540 | After tax |
| Missouri | $44,440 | $42,160 | 620 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $44,400 | $40,000 | 850 | After tax |
| Oregon | $44,390 | $44,530 | 570 | After tax |
| Kansas | $44,300 | $45,850 | 750 | After tax |
| Utah | $44,290 | $48,620 | 390 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $43,720 | $41,800 | 300 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $43,530 | $44,440 | 550 | After tax |
| Ohio | $43,180 | $41,160 | 980 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $42,850 | $42,710 | 1,580 | After tax |
| Illinois | $42,590 | $42,670 | 2,460 | After tax |
| Arizona | $42,190 | $44,050 | 560 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $42,180 | $40,480 | 330 | After tax |
| Maine | $42,170 | $37,500 | 170 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $42,160 | $38,880 | 60 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $40,140 | $40,440 | 110 | After tax |
| Georgia | $39,670 | $38,440 | 690 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $39,480 | $39,270 | 120 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $39,240 | $36,030 | 1,140 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $39,050 | $38,220 | 520 | After tax |
| Florida | $38,140 | $36,450 | 970 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $38,110 | $39,070 | 770 | After tax |
| Maryland | $37,900 | $36,960 | – | After tax |
| New Jersey | $37,880 | $37,180 | 430 | After tax |
| Virginia | $37,650 | $35,140 | 510 | After tax |
| Nevada | $36,790 | $36,610 | – | After tax |
| Delaware | $35,620 | $31,240 | – | After tax |
| Texas | $34,570 | $33,980 | 3,180 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $31,660 | $31,150 | 110 | After tax |
| Alabama | $31,310 | $27,080 | 250 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $26,150 | $25,480 | 220 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other production jobs
- Miscellaneous assembler and fabricator $44,650 median
- First-line supervisor of production and operating workers $74,450 median
- Inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher $48,570 median
- Welder $53,750 median
- Packaging and filling machine operator and tender $43,220 median
- Machinist $58,750 median
- Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assembler $45,850 median
- Baker $37,160 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders” (SOC 51-3093). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a food cooking machine operator and tender make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a food cooking machine operator and tender is $20.00, and the average is $20.47. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $15.23 an hour and the top 10% over $26.16.
How much does a food cooking machine operator and tender make a month?
At the median salary of $41,590, a food cooking machine operator and tender earns about $3,466 a month before tax, or $1,600 every two weeks.
Which state pays food cooking machine operators and tenders the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for a food cooking machine operator and tender, at $51,220 a year. Next are Idaho and Colorado. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a food cooking machine operator and tender?
The lowest-paid 10% of food cooking machine operators and tenders earn less than $31,680 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $36,190. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid food cooking machine operators and tenders make?
The top 10% earn more than $54,410 a year, and the top 25% more than $47,380.
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