How much does a Dietary Worker make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Dietary Worker in the United States is $35,067 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.

However, a Dietary Worker's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $40,296
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32,666 to $37,804
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $30,481

Key Factors That Influence Dietary Worker Salaries

A Dietary Worker's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Dietary Worker Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Dietary Worker's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $34,865
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $38,943
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $59,145
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $85,090
  • Expert (over 8 years): $104,080
Levels Salary
Dietary W... Level Dietary Worker$34,865
Diet Tech... Level Dietary Worker$38,943
Dietitian... Level Dietary Worker$59,145
Dietitian... Level Dietary Worker$85,090
Dietitian... Level Dietary Worker$104,080

How Do Dietary Worker Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Dietary Workers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $38,826.
  • California: $38,678.
  • Massachusetts: $38,163.

Top Paying Cities for Dietary Workers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $44,230
  • San Francisco: $43,745
  • Oakland: $42,823

What Skills Can Increase a Dietary Worker's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 7.92% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Food Handling (Mentioned in 4.38% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.
  • Foodservice (Mentioned in 1.65% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 7.92%
Food Handling 4.38%
Foodservice 1.65%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Dietary Worker's salary.

  • Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Analysis $39,625
13%
Commitment $37,521
7%
Written Communication $37,171
6%

Dietary Worker Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Dietary Worker roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit, offers compensation 15% above the average. Conversely, Dietary Worker positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Dietary Worker as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Dietary Worker

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit$40,327$19.015%

How Education impacts a Dietary Worker's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Dietary Workers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Dietary Worker with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $31,759 and $33,534).

Dietary Worker Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Dietary Worker
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 20.0%
High School 20.0%
Associates 20.0%
Bachelors 60.0%
Masters 20.0%
Doctorate 0.0%

Dietary Worker Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Dietary Worker's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$32,666
Average $35,067/year
$37,804
$2,722
Average $2,922/month
$3,150
$628
Average $674/week
$727
$16
Average $17/hour
$18
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $37,804 $3,150 $727 $18
Average $35,067 $2,922 $674 $17
25th Percentile $32,666 $2,722 $628 $16

Most common benefits for Dietary Worker

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Dietary Worker

Here are companies hiring for Dietary Worker and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Dietary Worker Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Dietary Worker job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Dietary Worker

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Dietary Worker?

The Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit industry offers the highest average compensation for Dietary Worker roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst