SOC 51-3093 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders — Alabama
Alabama
The median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Alabama is $27,080 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,590 — a gap of 34.9%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Alabama is $27,080 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,590 — a gap of 34.9%. Half of workers earn between $27,080 and $36,190. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $23,000 and the ninetieth at $45,200.
The area has 250 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. Alabama ranks number 41st out of 41 states by median pay for this occupation. Of the 690 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 671st.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23,000 | −44.7% |
| 25th | $27,080 | −34.9% |
| Median (50th) | $27,080 | −34.9% |
| 75th | $36,190 | −13.0% |
| 90th | $45,200 | +8.7% |
| Mean | $31,310 | −24.7% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $27,080 goes as far as $30,495 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 26.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$27,080as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$30,495US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $27,080 a year, 34.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $23,000 to $45,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 250 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 41st of 41 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Alabama?
The median annual wage is $27,080, or $13.02 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $41,590, so pay in Alabama is 34.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Alabama earns more than $45,200 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $23,000 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 250 jobs in this occupation in Alabama. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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