First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-1012 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$44,075
$21.19/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers is $44,075 per year ($21.19/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,984 and $54,579 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $65,562 per year. There are approximately 1,223,240 first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.0%
Faster than average
Annual openings
184K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.2M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
930K
$41,160
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
55K
$47,460
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
36K
$46,090
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
35K
$47,320
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
28K
$50,720
Wage range across top 5 industries: $41,160 to $50,720 (23% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.40
$29,952
P25
$17.30
$35,984
P50MEDIAN
$21.19
$44,075
P75
$26.24
$54,579
P90
$31.52
$65,562
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers salary?
The national median salary for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers is $44,075 per year ($21.19/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,984 and $54,579 annually.
How much do top-earning first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers is $65,562 per year ($31.52/hr). The 75th percentile is $54,579 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
Entry-level First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,952 per year ($14.40/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,984 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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