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Food Preparation Workers in Tennessee
Considering a career as a Food Preparation Worker in Tennessee?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in Tennessee are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Food Preparation Workers in Tennessee is growing faster than average.
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Food Preparation Workers in Tennessee earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
How Many Food Preparation Workers Work in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, there were 18,060 people working as Food Preparation Workers in the year 2018.
There were 17,280 Food Preparation Workers employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 780 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 8,670 Food Preparation Workers working in it, which means Tennessee has more Food Preparation Workers than average.
Job Projections for Tennessee
Jobs for Food Preparation Workers in this state are growing at a rate of 8.7% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 7.9%.
Tennessee Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 3,110 annual job openings, and a total of 18,510 jobs for Tennessee Food Preparation Workers in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 157,700 annual jobs and 939,700 total jobs in 2026.
What do Food Preparation Workers Make in Tennessee?
In 2018 wages for Food Preparation Workers ranged from $16,610 to $30,500 with $20,550 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $7.98 to $14.66. The median hourly rate was $9.88.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $9.66 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $0.22.
The median salary in Tennessee is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top Tennessee Metros for Food Preparation Workers
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Food Preparation Workers.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | 8,510 | $21,890 |
Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 3,070 | $20,090 |
Knoxville, TN | 2,070 | $21,040 |
Chattanooga, TN-GA | 1,840 | $19,010 |
Morristown, TN | 580 | $19,960 |
Clarksville, TN-KY | 440 | $18,660 |
Johnson City, TN | 300 | $23,930 |
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA | 270 | $19,280 |
Jackson, TN | 150 | $19,440 |
Cleveland, TN | 100 | $19,100 |
Top States for Food Preparation Workers Employment
View the list below to see where most Food Preparation Workers work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
California | 102,680 | $26,040 |
Florida | 62,010 | $23,020 |
New York | 61,600 | $26,680 |
Texas | 55,060 | $22,730 |
Louisiana | 35,890 | $18,350 |
Georgia | 35,360 | $20,350 |
New Jersey | 32,960 | $22,520 |
Illinois | 32,430 | $24,220 |
Ohio | 26,740 | $21,040 |
North Carolina | 19,820 | $21,660 |
Virginia | 19,640 | $20,640 |
Pennsylvania | 19,310 | $22,060 |
Tennessee | 18,060 | $20,550 |
Washington | 17,380 | $28,210 |
Indiana | 16,220 | $20,930 |
Maryland | 15,620 | $24,220 |
Massachusetts | 15,080 | $27,420 |
Michigan | 14,630 | $22,530 |
Arizona | 14,220 | $24,070 |
Oregon | 14,110 | $25,730 |
Below are the states where Food Preparation Workers get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
District of Columbia | $29,100 |
Washington | $28,210 |
Nevada | $28,130 |
Rhode Island | $27,910 |
Massachusetts | $27,420 |
New York | $26,680 |
Alaska | $26,540 |
Connecticut | $26,430 |
Minnesota | $26,180 |
California | $26,040 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.