SOC 35-9099 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
The median wage for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other in Seattle, WA is $34,650 per year, close to the national median of $35,840 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other in Seattle, WA is $34,650 per year, close to the national median of $35,840 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $34,650 at the tenth percentile to more than $46,200 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $34,650 to $34,650.
Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 693rd of 693 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,650 | −3.3% |
| 25th | $34,650 | −3.3% |
| Median (50th) | $34,650 | −3.3% |
| 75th | $34,650 | −3.3% |
| 90th | $46,200 | +28.9% |
| Mean | $36,410 | +1.6% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Seattle run 7.0% above the national average, so the median of $34,650 buys what $32,383 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 9.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$34,650as reported by BLSLocal price level
107.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$32,383US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $34,650 a year, 3.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,650 to $46,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $34,650, or $16.66 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 $35,840, so pay in Seattle, WA is 3.3% 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 Seattle, WA earns more than $46,200 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,650 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.
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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