SOC 51-3093 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders — Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, LA
The median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Baton Rouge, LA is $23,600 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,590 — a gap of 43.3%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Baton Rouge, LA is $23,600 per year, substantially below the national median of $41,590 — a gap of 43.3%. Pay ranges from under $18,680 at the tenth percentile to more than $45,370 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $18,680 to $35,740.
The area has 50 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 482nd of 491 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $18,680 | −55.1% |
| 25th | $18,680 | −55.1% |
| Median (50th) | $23,600 | −43.3% |
| 75th | $35,740 | −14.1% |
| 90th | $45,370 | +9.1% |
| Mean | $29,230 | −29.7% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Baton Rouge run 11.8% below the national average, so the median of $23,600 goes as far as $26,757 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 35.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$23,600as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$26,757US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $23,600 a year, 43.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $18,680 to $45,370 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 50 jobs in this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Baton Rouge, LA?
The median annual wage is $23,600, or $11.34 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 Baton Rouge, LA is 43.3% 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 Baton Rouge, LA earns more than $45,370 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $18,680 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 50 jobs in this occupation in Baton Rouge, LA. 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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