Today is National Pasta Day so remember the food service workers that bring you that delicious lasagna. We are curious as to why restaurants in Louisiana have such a difficult time getting workers, so we did some research and have the answer.
There are about 1,100,000 food service workers in Louisiana, which include chefs, bartenders, waiters & waitresses, dishwashers and hostesses. Their average annual wage is $25,340, about 20% less than the national average of $32,130 and $2,540 less than what they could earn in Texas.
The range of wages is wide because food service has a wide skill set. The highest earners are the chefs which may have culinary school training and the bottom 10% of wage earners would be the dishwashers with an average annual wage of $17,390 in Louisiana, about 20% less than the national average.
The top 10% of food service would be the skilled workers who earn an annual average of $45,150 nationally and $35,480 in Louisiana. The top 10% wage earner gets $13,020 annually more than the average, or 40%. In Louisiana, the top 10% earn $10,000 more than average, which is the same 40%. But if you are a top food wage earner in Louisiana, there is only a $2,000 annual gain in moving to Texas and only a $2,000 annual loss in moving to Mississippi.
So remember your food service workers in Louisiana and mention that culinary school could make them an extra $10,000 a year and thanks for not moving to Texas.
