Food Preparation
First-Line Food Prep Supervisors
SOC 35-1012
Lead the shift in a kitchen or counter and keep the line moving.
The job
Median pay
$44k
$36k to $55k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+5.4% projected
Openings a year
172k
BLS projection
Typical education
High school
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
8/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
12th pct
More exposed than 12% of occupations · modeled estimate · 40th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
49/100
Key skills
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Learning Strategies
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 137,930 | 9.8 | 1.3× | $36k |
| California | 130,190 | 7.1 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Florida | 91,500 | 9.2 | 1.2× | $44k |
| New York | 65,580 | 6.8 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Ohio | 51,990 | 9.4 | 1.2× | $37k |
| Georgia | 48,420 | 9.9 | 1.3× | $39k |
| Illinois | 41,030 | 6.7 | 0.9× | $39k |
| North Carolina | 39,750 | 8.0 | 1.0× | $45k |
| Pennsylvania | 35,560 | 5.9 | 0.8× | $43k |
| Michigan | 32,890 | 7.5 | 0.9× | $38k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 30,640 | 7.5 | 0.9× | $46k |
| Tennessee | 29,100 | 8.9 | 1.1× | $41k |
| New Jersey | 27,750 | 6.5 | 0.8× | $48k |
| Colorado | 25,510 | 8.9 | 1.1× | $51k |
| Indiana | 23,500 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $45k |
| Massachusetts | 23,220 | 6.4 | 0.8× | $47k |
| Missouri | 21,650 | 7.4 | 0.9× | $37k |
| Arizona | 21,450 | 6.6 | 0.8× | $41k |
| Wisconsin | 21,240 | 7.2 | 0.9× | $40k |
| Minnesota | 20,760 | 7.0 | 0.9× | $45k |
| Washington | 20,700 | 5.8 | 0.7× | $59k |
| Maryland | 20,150 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $42k |
| South Carolina | 20,120 | 8.7 | 1.1× | $39k |
| Alabama | 19,180 | 9.1 | 1.1× | $37k |
| Oklahoma | 18,900 | 11.1 | 1.4× | $35k |
| Kentucky | 18,010 | 9.0 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Oregon | 16,880 | 8.6 | 1.1× | $47k |
| Louisiana | 16,680 | 8.6 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Nevada | 14,230 | 9.2 | 1.2× | $44k |
| Utah | 13,670 | 7.9 | 1.0× | $39k |
| Iowa | 11,400 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $39k |
| Arkansas | 11,200 | 8.6 | 1.1× | $34k |
| Connecticut | 10,770 | 6.3 | 0.8× | $53k |
| Kansas | 10,520 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $38k |
| Mississippi | 10,480 | 9.0 | 1.1× | $37k |
| Nebraska | 7,840 | 7.7 | 1.0× | $39k |
| Idaho | 7,440 | 8.7 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Hawaii | 7,330 | 11.7 | 1.5× | $49k |
| New Mexico | 6,540 | 7.5 | 0.9× | $39k |
| West Virginia | 6,390 | 9.1 | 1.2× | $33k |
| Montana | 4,650 | 9.1 | 1.2× | $44k |
| Delaware | 4,030 | 8.3 | 1.1× | $48k |
| New Hampshire | 3,840 | 5.6 | 0.7× | $50k |
| Maine | 3,740 | 5.8 | 0.7× | $48k |
| Rhode Island | 3,320 | 6.6 | 0.8× | $48k |
| South Dakota | 2,920 | 6.4 | 0.8× | $41k |
| Washington DC | 2,830 | 4.0 | 0.5× | $57k |
| North Dakota | 2,780 | 6.5 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Wyoming | 2,680 | 9.5 | 1.2× | $37k |
| Alaska | 2,390 | 7.3 | 0.9× | $47k |
| Vermont | 1,970 | 6.5 | 0.8× | $50k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ61,060 jobs · $49k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA41,640 jobs · $47k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX39,780 jobs · $38k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX31,290 jobs · $36k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN30,180 jobs · $43k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA28,580 jobs · $39k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL24,770 jobs · $46k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV19,650 jobs · $48k median
Explore the rankings
Explore First-Line Food Prep Supervisors interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.