Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in Tennessee

In Tennessee, the median pay for food cooking machine operators and tenders is $21.93 an hour ($45,620 a year). About 1,820 people work in this job there.

$21.93Median hourly pay

$41,200–$55,270Middle half of workers, yearly

1,820People in this job in Tennessee

That is 10% higher than the U.S. median ($41,590). Tennessee ranks 10th of 41 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for food cooking machine operators and tenders in Tennessee

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$16.87	$35,100
25% of workers	$19.81	$41,200
Half of workers (median)	$21.93	$45,620
75% of workers	$26.57	$55,270
90% of workers	$30.08	$62,560

Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay in Tennessee metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Memphis	$55,270	190
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin	$45,340	150
Knoxville	$41,200	210

Tennessee unemployment rate: 3.4% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for food cooking machine operators and tenders

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -0.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 3,700 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Tennessee

Job	Median yearly pay
Cooks, Restaurant	$36,420
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	$43,190
Bakers	$34,440
Food Batchmakers	$42,610
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$50,470
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$47,840
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders	$44,710
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	$37,590

Other job titles for this job

Food Production WorkerOven OperatorSteam Oven OperatorWine PasteurizerBakery FryerBlanching Machine OperatorBoilerCasing CookerChip FryerCoconut BoilerConfectionery CookerCook Box Filler

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.