Food Batchmakers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for food batchmakers in the U.S. is $42,290 ($20.33 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $42,290
- Mean annual wage
- $43,750
- Median hourly wage
- $20.33
- Employment
- 174,520
174,520 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,990 | $15.38 |
| 25th percentile | $36,350 | $17.47 |
| Median (50th) | $42,290 | $20.33 |
| 75th percentile | $49,670 | $23.88 |
| 90th percentile | $58,940 | $28.34 |
Highest-paying states for food batchmakers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $50,180 | 1,000 |
| Idaho | $49,570 | 1,700 |
| Wisconsin | $48,360 | 18,040 |
| Iowa | $48,300 | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $48,130 | 12,320 |
| Kentucky | $46,900 | 4,570 |
| Georgia | $46,490 | 4,290 |
| Missouri | $45,690 | 2,280 |
| Colorado | $44,900 | 3,880 |
| Ohio | $44,590 | 7,040 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $34,620 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $34,660 median annual wage
- Florida: $35,500 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $36,320 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $36,530 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Includes candy makers and cheese makers.
Typical tasks
- Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.
- Examine, feel, and taste product samples during production to evaluate quality, color, texture, flavor, and bouquet, and document the results.
- Formulate or modify recipes for specific kinds of food products.
- Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.
- Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.
- Modify cooking and forming operations based on the results of sampling processes, adjusting time cycles and ingredients to achieve desired qualities, such as firmness or texture.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 15.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 43.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.1% |
| Associate's degree | 8.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.4% |
| Master's degree | 1.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.