Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in Tennessee
$46,920avg. a year
$22.56 an hour · 1,820 employed
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Tennessee earn an average of $46,920 a year. That is $4,350 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $42,570. The best-paying metro area is Memphis, TN-MS-AR at $47,990.
$45,620Median pay
$22.56Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
#8Of 41 states
Top-paying Tennessee metro areas
Average pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders by metro area. Swipe to see all 3.
1190 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$47,990
$23.07 an hour
2210 jobs
Knoxville, TN
$46,030
$22.13 an hour
3150 jobs
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$45,260
$21.76 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in Tennessee, charted
Pay over time
Tennessee, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Tennessee food cooking machine operators and tenders work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Tennessee highlighted · tap a state
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Under $39k$39k–$43k$43k–$45k$45k+Tennessee
Tennessee vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $42,570 | $20.47 |
| Tennessee | $46,920 | $22.56 |
| Missouri | $44,440 | $21.37 |
| Kentucky | $43,720 | $21.02 |
| Arkansas | $42,180 | $20.28 |
| Georgia | $39,670 | $19.07 |
| North Carolina | $38,110 | $18.32 |
Related jobs in Tennessee
- Bakers$34,530
- Food Batchmakers$43,940
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$36,670
- Butchers and Meat Cutters$39,550
- Food Processing Workers, All Other$42,440
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$48,410
Average pay, Tennessee, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Tennessee?
The average is $46,920 a year, and the median is $45,620. That is $4,350 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $42,570.
What is the hourly wage in Tennessee?
$22.56 an hour on average; the median is $21.93.
Where in Tennessee do they earn the most?
Memphis, TN-MS-AR ($47,990), followed by Knoxville, TN ($46,030). The lowest average among 3 metro areas with data is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($45,260).
How does Tennessee rank?
Tennessee ranks #8 of 41 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-3093. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national food cooking machine operators and tenders page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.