Community Food Services — Average Employee Salary

The average employee in the community food services industry earns $47,092 per year ($22.64/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.

$47,092
Avg Annual Pay
47,560
Total Employees
3,994
Total Establishments
12
Avg Employees/Business

What Do Community Food Workers Earn?

At $47,092/year (equivalent to $22.64/hour for a full-time worker), community food services wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.

Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.

The typical community food services business employs 12 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.

Wages as a Percentage of Revenue

57.5%

For the average community food services business generating $983K/year with 12 employees at $47,092 each, total payroll represents roughly 57.5% of revenue. This is a labor-intensive industry — payroll is the dominant expense.

What This Means for Business Owners

If you're starting or running a community food servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:

  • Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $61,220/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
  • Typical team size: 12 employees = ~$565,104/year in base payroll.
  • Hourly equivalent: $22.64/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
  • Revenue needed: With average revenue of $983K/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.

See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.

View full Community Food Services revenue benchmarks →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do community food services employees make?
The average community food services employee earns $47,092 per year, which is equivalent to $22.64/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
How many people work in the community food services industry?
The community food services industry employs 47,560 workers across 3,994 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 12 employees.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).