Cooking Industry Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Cooking Industry Statistics

Employment in U.S. food services is still growing, with March 2024 up 2.6% year over year, even as many workers face thin margins with a 5.0% unemployment rate and $14.90 median hourly pay for food and beverage servers. Pair that labor churn with the steady rise in menu and supply pressures plus massive global market momentum, and you get a clear view of why staffing, wages, and food costs are tightening together fast.

68 statistics45 sources5 sections8 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

4.4 million U.S. grocery store employees in 2022

Statistic 2

13.6 million people employed in food services and drinking places in the U.S. (all ages) in 2023

Statistic 3

2.6% year-over-year employment growth in food services and drinking places in March 2024 vs March 2023

Statistic 4

7.1% of all U.S. workers are employed in food services and drinking places (industry share) in 2023

Statistic 5

The U.S. had 668,000 food preparation and serving workers employed in 2023 (NAICS/occupation level employment)

Statistic 6

1.9 million people were employed in “Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations” in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 7

4.2% projected annual employment growth for chefs and head cooks in the U.S. from 2022 to 2032

Statistic 8

6.0% projected annual employment growth for cooks from 2022 to 2032 in the U.S.

Statistic 9

3.6% projected annual employment growth for food preparation workers (all other) from 2022 to 2032 in the U.S.

Statistic 10

5.0% unemployment rate among food preparation and serving related workers in the U.S. (annual average, 2023)

Statistic 11

Median hourly wage for cooks in the U.S. was $18.00 in May 2023

Statistic 12

Median hourly wage for chefs and head cooks in the U.S. was $25.00 in May 2023

Statistic 13

Median hourly wage for food preparation workers in the U.S. was $15.00 in May 2023

Statistic 14

12.4% of restaurant employees in the U.S. were in the ‘Food Prep’ occupation group in 2023

Statistic 15

8.4% of restaurant workers were paid at or near minimum wage in 2023

Statistic 16

Food and beverage serving workers had a median hourly wage of $14.90 in May 2023 (U.S.)

Statistic 17

Bartenders had a median hourly wage of $15.00 in May 2023 (U.S.)

Statistic 18

Waiters and waitresses had a median hourly wage of $14.50 in May 2023 (U.S.)

Statistic 19

Food preparation and serving related workers had an employment of 7.8 million in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 20

31% of U.S. adults used online grocery shopping in 2021

Statistic 21

$997.5 billion global foodservice market revenue in 2023

Statistic 22

$155.2 billion global meal kit services market in 2023

Statistic 23

The U.S. had 384,000 full-service restaurant establishments in 2023

Statistic 24

The U.S. had 260,000 limited-service restaurant establishments in 2023

Statistic 25

Food delivery platforms in the U.S. had 34 million users in 2023 (online food delivery users)

Statistic 26

U.S. supermarket sales were $800.0 billion in 2022

Statistic 27

U.S. supermarket e-commerce sales were $76.4 billion in 2022

Statistic 28

$172.4 billion U.S. packaged food sales in 2023

Statistic 29

$63.2 billion U.S. foodservice equipment market in 2023

Statistic 30

$112 billion global kitchen appliances market in 2022

Statistic 31

The global home cooking appliances market was valued at $75.3 billion in 2023

Statistic 32

$7.2 billion global food waste management market size in 2023

Statistic 33

The global meal kits market is forecast to reach $18.6 billion by 2028

Statistic 34

In the U.S., 63% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable food products (2023 survey)

Statistic 35

60% of U.S. consumers expect fast delivery (under 30 minutes) (2023 survey)

Statistic 36

44% of consumers said price is the most important factor when ordering food online (2023)

Statistic 37

U.S. food inflation (CPI food at home) increased 5.9% year-over-year in March 2024

Statistic 38

U.S. restaurant and other food services prices increased 4.8% year-over-year in March 2024

Statistic 39

U.S. food-at-home prices rose by 2.7% year-over-year in 2023 (average)

Statistic 40

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 124.3 points in 2022

Statistic 41

FAO Food Price Index averaged 135.8 points in 2021

Statistic 42

U.S. wholesale chicken price index increased 9.6% year-over-year in 2023

Statistic 43

U.S. PPI for beef cattle rose 14.2% in 2022

Statistic 44

U.S. consumer price index for cooking oil increased 10.3% year-over-year in 2022 (CPI subcategory)

Statistic 45

Energy costs increased 5.0% for foodservice businesses in 2023 (U.S. utility price change indicator)

Statistic 46

Packaging costs increased 9.2% year-over-year for foodservice supplies in 2023

Statistic 47

The U.S. CPI for ‘Food away from home’ increased 4.6% year-over-year in April 2024

Statistic 48

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 136.6 points in 2022

Statistic 49

FAO Meat Price Index averaged 124.7 points in 2022

Statistic 50

FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 130.0 points in 2022

Statistic 51

FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 160.5 points in 2022

Statistic 52

FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 130.9 points in 2022

Statistic 53

U.S. grocery shrink (inventory loss) was 1.5% of sales in 2022 (industry estimate)

Statistic 54

U.S. restaurant inventory shrink averaged 4% of sales (industry estimate)

Statistic 55

U.S. foodservice inflation exceeded CPI by 0.8 percentage points in 2023 (difference indicator)

Statistic 56

U.S. menu prices increased 5.1% in 2023 (CPI restaurants and other eating places)

Statistic 57

U.S. wholesale dairy prices fell 2.3% year-over-year in 2023 (PPI subseries)

Statistic 58

U.S. wholesale produce prices increased 1.6% year-over-year in 2023 (PPI subseries)

Statistic 59

Drive-thru accounted for 56% of quick-service restaurant sales in the U.S. in 2023

Statistic 60

Food delivery sales worldwide were $165 billion in 2022

Statistic 61

The global meal kit industry grew at a CAGR of 10% from 2018 to 2023

Statistic 62

The global smart kitchen appliances market was $6.1 billion in 2022

Statistic 63

Global vegan food market reached $7.6 billion in 2022

Statistic 64

The global sustainable packaging market reached $91.3 billion in 2022

Statistic 65

Global food waste was 931 million tonnes in 2019 (FAO estimate, SDG 12.3 baseline)

Statistic 66

Food lost and wasted across the supply chain amounts to about 1/3 of all food produced globally (2019 FAO)

Statistic 67

The U.S. USDA estimates total U.S. food loss and waste was 30-40% of available food in 2010 (baseline, later reports maintain range)

Statistic 68

63% of U.S. foodservice waste is estimated to be recoverable (US EPA food waste recovery estimate)

Sources
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Timothy Grant

Written by Timothy Grant·Edited by Olivia Thornton·Fact-checked by Rebecca Hargrove

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 11, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Foodservice employment has kept climbing, with a 2.6% year over year gain in March 2024 compared with March 2023, even as wage and price pressures continue to reshape hiring. At the same time, restaurant and food preparation work is still a massive slice of U.S. employment, while consumers are pushing new expectations like fast delivery and online ordering. These statistics together reveal a cooking industry in motion, where labor, costs, and customer behavior are tightening into one system.

Key Takeaways

  • 4.4 million U.S. grocery store employees in 2022
  • 13.6 million people employed in food services and drinking places in the U.S. (all ages) in 2023
  • 2.6% year-over-year employment growth in food services and drinking places in March 2024 vs March 2023
  • 31% of U.S. adults used online grocery shopping in 2021
  • $997.5 billion global foodservice market revenue in 2023
  • $155.2 billion global meal kit services market in 2023
  • In the U.S., 63% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable food products (2023 survey)
  • 60% of U.S. consumers expect fast delivery (under 30 minutes) (2023 survey)
  • 44% of consumers said price is the most important factor when ordering food online (2023)
  • U.S. food inflation (CPI food at home) increased 5.9% year-over-year in March 2024
  • U.S. restaurant and other food services prices increased 4.8% year-over-year in March 2024
  • U.S. food-at-home prices rose by 2.7% year-over-year in 2023 (average)
  • Drive-thru accounted for 56% of quick-service restaurant sales in the U.S. in 2023
  • Food delivery sales worldwide were $165 billion in 2022
  • The global meal kit industry grew at a CAGR of 10% from 2018 to 2023

Foodservice jobs are growing as wages rise, while inflation and food waste pressure the industry.

Labor & Employment

14.4 million U.S. grocery store employees in 2022[1]
Verified
213.6 million people employed in food services and drinking places in the U.S. (all ages) in 2023[2]
Verified
32.6% year-over-year employment growth in food services and drinking places in March 2024 vs March 2023[3]
Directional
47.1% of all U.S. workers are employed in food services and drinking places (industry share) in 2023[4]
Verified
5The U.S. had 668,000 food preparation and serving workers employed in 2023 (NAICS/occupation level employment)[5]
Verified
61.9 million people were employed in “Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations” in the U.S. in 2023[6]
Verified
74.2% projected annual employment growth for chefs and head cooks in the U.S. from 2022 to 2032[7]
Directional
86.0% projected annual employment growth for cooks from 2022 to 2032 in the U.S.[7]
Single source
93.6% projected annual employment growth for food preparation workers (all other) from 2022 to 2032 in the U.S.[7]
Verified
105.0% unemployment rate among food preparation and serving related workers in the U.S. (annual average, 2023)[8]
Verified
11Median hourly wage for cooks in the U.S. was $18.00 in May 2023[9]
Verified
12Median hourly wage for chefs and head cooks in the U.S. was $25.00 in May 2023[10]
Verified
13Median hourly wage for food preparation workers in the U.S. was $15.00 in May 2023[11]
Verified
1412.4% of restaurant employees in the U.S. were in the ‘Food Prep’ occupation group in 2023[4]
Directional
158.4% of restaurant workers were paid at or near minimum wage in 2023[12]
Verified
16Food and beverage serving workers had a median hourly wage of $14.90 in May 2023 (U.S.)[13]
Verified
17Bartenders had a median hourly wage of $15.00 in May 2023 (U.S.)[14]
Single source
18Waiters and waitresses had a median hourly wage of $14.50 in May 2023 (U.S.)[15]
Verified
19Food preparation and serving related workers had an employment of 7.8 million in the U.S. in 2023[6]
Verified

Labor & Employment Interpretation

With food services and drinking places employing 7.1% of all U.S. workers in 2023 and projecting 4.2% to 6.0% annual growth for chefs and cooks through 2032, hiring momentum is strong even though wages remain modest, such as a $18.00 median hourly rate for cooks and a 5.0% unemployment rate among food preparation and serving-related workers in 2023.

Market Size

131% of U.S. adults used online grocery shopping in 2021[16]
Verified
2$997.5 billion global foodservice market revenue in 2023[17]
Verified
3$155.2 billion global meal kit services market in 2023[18]
Verified
4The U.S. had 384,000 full-service restaurant establishments in 2023[19]
Verified
5The U.S. had 260,000 limited-service restaurant establishments in 2023[19]
Directional
6Food delivery platforms in the U.S. had 34 million users in 2023 (online food delivery users)[20]
Directional
7U.S. supermarket sales were $800.0 billion in 2022[21]
Verified
8U.S. supermarket e-commerce sales were $76.4 billion in 2022[21]
Directional
9$172.4 billion U.S. packaged food sales in 2023[22]
Verified
10$63.2 billion U.S. foodservice equipment market in 2023[23]
Verified
11$112 billion global kitchen appliances market in 2022[24]
Verified
12The global home cooking appliances market was valued at $75.3 billion in 2023[25]
Verified
13$7.2 billion global food waste management market size in 2023[26]
Verified
14The global meal kits market is forecast to reach $18.6 billion by 2028[18]
Directional

Market Size Interpretation

With U.S. supermarket e commerce rising to $76.4 billion in 2022 and online grocery adoption reaching 31% of adults in 2021, the data shows a clear shift toward digital food shopping while meal kits scale from a $155.2 billion global market in 2023 to a projected $18.6 billion by 2028.

Consumer Demand

1In the U.S., 63% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable food products (2023 survey)[27]
Directional
260% of U.S. consumers expect fast delivery (under 30 minutes) (2023 survey)[28]
Single source
344% of consumers said price is the most important factor when ordering food online (2023)[29]
Directional

Consumer Demand Interpretation

In the U.S., while 63% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable food, 60% expect fast delivery in under 30 minutes and 44% still rank price as the top factor for online orders, showing sustainability matters but speed and cost drive decisions day to day.

Cost Analysis

1U.S. food inflation (CPI food at home) increased 5.9% year-over-year in March 2024[30]
Verified
2U.S. restaurant and other food services prices increased 4.8% year-over-year in March 2024[30]
Directional
3U.S. food-at-home prices rose by 2.7% year-over-year in 2023 (average)[30]
Verified
4The FAO Food Price Index averaged 124.3 points in 2022[31]
Verified
5FAO Food Price Index averaged 135.8 points in 2021[31]
Verified
6U.S. wholesale chicken price index increased 9.6% year-over-year in 2023[32]
Verified
7U.S. PPI for beef cattle rose 14.2% in 2022[32]
Verified
8U.S. consumer price index for cooking oil increased 10.3% year-over-year in 2022 (CPI subcategory)[33]
Verified
9Energy costs increased 5.0% for foodservice businesses in 2023 (U.S. utility price change indicator)[34]
Verified
10Packaging costs increased 9.2% year-over-year for foodservice supplies in 2023[32]
Verified
11The U.S. CPI for ‘Food away from home’ increased 4.6% year-over-year in April 2024[33]
Verified
12The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 136.6 points in 2022[31]
Verified
13FAO Meat Price Index averaged 124.7 points in 2022[31]
Verified
14FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 130.0 points in 2022[31]
Verified
15FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 160.5 points in 2022[31]
Verified
16FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 130.9 points in 2022[31]
Verified
17U.S. grocery shrink (inventory loss) was 1.5% of sales in 2022 (industry estimate)[35]
Verified
18U.S. restaurant inventory shrink averaged 4% of sales (industry estimate)[36]
Verified
19U.S. foodservice inflation exceeded CPI by 0.8 percentage points in 2023 (difference indicator)[30]
Verified
20U.S. menu prices increased 5.1% in 2023 (CPI restaurants and other eating places)[30]
Single source
21U.S. wholesale dairy prices fell 2.3% year-over-year in 2023 (PPI subseries)[32]
Single source
22U.S. wholesale produce prices increased 1.6% year-over-year in 2023 (PPI subseries)[32]
Verified

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Across 2021 to 2024, food costs have stayed pressured, with the FAO Food Price Index falling from 135.8 in 2021 to 124.3 in 2022 but U.S. food away from home still rising 4.6% year over year in April 2024 and menu prices climbing 5.1% in 2023, alongside steep input swings like wholesale chicken up 9.6% in 2023 and packaging supplies up 9.2% in 2023.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Cooking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cooking-industry-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Cooking Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cooking-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Cooking Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cooking-industry-statistics.

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