Mobile Food Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the mobile food services industry earns $26,044 per year ($12.52/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Mobile Food Workers Earn?
At $26,044/year (equivalent to $12.52/hour for a full-time worker), mobile 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 mobile food services business employs 4 people. Most operations are small — often owner-operated with a handful of staff. Labor costs are manageable relative to revenue.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average mobile food services business generating $230K/year with 4 employees at $26,044 each, total payroll represents roughly 45.2% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a mobile food servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $33,857/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 4 employees = ~$104,176/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $12.52/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $230K/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 Mobile Food Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do mobile food services employees make?
- The average mobile food services employee earns $26,044 per year, which is equivalent to $12.52/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 mobile food services industry?
- The mobile food services industry employs 40,284 workers across 10,918 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 4 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).