The median annual wage for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Tennessee is $45,040 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $44,590.
Pay spans roughly $29,300 at the 10th percentile to $54,280 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $21.65 per hour. An estimated 1,730 people work as food cooking machine operators and tenders in Tennessee.
| Median (annual) | $45,040 |
| Mean (annual) | $44,590 |
| Median (hourly) | $21.65 |
| 10th percentile | $29,300 |
| 90th percentile | $54,280 |
| Employment | 1,730 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.