First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Food Preparation and Serving · SOC 35-1012 · O*NET 35-1012.00
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers fall under the Food Preparation and Serving category in the U.S. occupational classification. First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers earn a median salary of $42,010 per year, ranking in the top 81% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +6.0% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers earn?
The median annual wage for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers is $42,010. That puts first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers at #655 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $29,340 |
| 25th percentile | $35,400 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $42,010 |
| 75th percentile | $50,920 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $63,420 |
| Median hourly wage | $20.20/hr |
Is first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers is +6.0%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 1.2M positions in 2024 to 1.3M in 2034, a net change of 73K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.
- 2.Train workers in food preparation, and in service, sanitation, and safety procedures.
- 3.Assign duties, responsibilities, and work stations to employees in accordance with work requirements.
- 4.Present bills and accept payments.
- 5.Perform various financial activities, such as cash handling, deposit preparation, and payroll.
- 6.Supervise and participate in kitchen and dining area cleaning activities.
- 7.Recommend measures for improving work procedures and worker performance to increase service quality and enhance job safety.
- 8.Specify food portions and courses, production and time sequences, and workstation and equipment arrangements.
Top skills for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker?
Many first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
What is the median salary for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
The median annual salary for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers is $42,010 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers a growing career?
BLS projects +6.0% growth for first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving worker?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to first-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers?
Related occupations within the Food Preparation and Serving category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.