Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Hourly Pay

Median hourly wage: $20.00

Hourly Wage Percentiles

PercentileHourly Wage
10th$15.23
25th$17.40
Median$20.00
75th$22.78
90th$26.16

Data source: BLS OES national file · U.S. BLS OES, May 2024 (updated April 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make an hour?

The median hourly wage is $20.00; the mean hourly wage is $20.47.

What is the entry-level hourly pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn about $15.23 per hour — a common proxy for entry-level pay.

What is the top hourly pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders?

Workers at the 90th percentile earn about $26.16 per hour.