Caterer demographics and statistics in the US

Caterer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates caterer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our caterer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about caterers after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 37,122 caterers currently employed in the United States.
  • 57.0% of all caterers are women, while 43.0% are men.
  • The average caterer age is 36 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of caterers is White (59.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.7%), Black or African American (10.3%) and Asian (6.1%).
  • Caterers are most in-demand in Fargo, ND.
  • Beverly, MA pays an annual average wage of $33,897, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women caterers earned 96% of what men earned.
  • New York is the best state for caterers to live.
  • Caterers are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On This Page
Caterer demographics by:

Caterer gender statistics

57.0% of caterers are women and 43.0% of caterers are men.
  • Female, 57.0%
  • Male, 43.0%

Caterer gender ratio

Gender
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Female57.0%
Male43.0%

Caterer gender pay gap

Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male Income
$30,628
female-income
Female Income
$29,342

Caterer gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in caterer positions over time. Currently, 57.0% of caterers are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Caterer gender ratio by year

Year
ascdesc
Male
ascdesc
Female
ascdesc
201042.47%57.53%
201142.75%57.25%
201242.47%57.53%
201346.18%53.82%
201443.41%56.59%
201544.23%55.77%
201645.92%54.08%
201745.49%54.51%
201845.47%54.53%
201944.70%55.30%
202045.57%54.43%
202143.01%56.99%

Caterer related jobs gender ratio

We compared caterers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corporate executive chef and chef de cuisine have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job TitleascdescMaleascFemaleascdesc
Lunchroom Monitor5%95%
Waiter/Waitress, Captain13%87%
Lunchroom Supervisor13%87%
Caterer43%57%
Executive Chef88%12%
Chef De Cuisine90%10%
Corporate Executive Chef91%9%

Caterer demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among caterers is White, which makes up 59.8% of all caterers. Comparatively, 17.7% of caterers are Hispanic or Latino and 10.3% of caterers are Black or African American.
  • White, 59.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 17.7%
  • Black or African American, 10.3%
  • Asian, 6.1%
  • Unknown, 5.2%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%

Caterer Race

Caterer Race
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
White59.8%
Hispanic or Latino17.7%
Black or African American10.3%
Asian6.1%
Unknown5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.9%

Caterer race and ethnicity over time

See how caterer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Black or African American

Caterer race and ethnicity by year

Year
ascdesc
White
ascdesc
Black or African American
ascdesc
Asian
ascdesc
Hispanic or Latino
ascdesc
201066.40%10.50%6.13%14.15%
201164.85%11.37%5.86%14.95%
201265.10%10.29%6.09%15.26%
201364.48%10.47%6.26%15.41%
201463.32%11.29%5.91%16.08%
201564.85%9.24%6.38%16.44%
201664.22%10.27%6.27%15.47%
201762.46%10.39%6.19%17.27%
201863.47%9.10%6.36%16.82%
201964.50%9.02%6.17%16.70%
202060.43%9.39%6.51%17.51%
202159.84%10.26%6.15%17.68%

Caterer wage gap by race

According to our data, asian caterers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american caterers have the lowest average salary at $29,945.
$32,000
$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicityascdescSalaryascdesc
Unknown$30,695
White$30,278
Black or African American$29,945
Asian$31,193
Hispanic or Latino$31,046

Caterer JOBS

Average caterer age

See how the average age of caterers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Caterer age by race and gender

Race
ascdesc
Male Age
ascdesc
Female Age
ascdesc
Black or African American3440
Unknown2836
Asian3543
Hispanic or Latino3133
White3136
American Indian and Alaska Native33

Caterer age breakdown

The average age of caterers is 40+ years years old, representing 39% of the caterer population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Caterer age breakdown

Caterer Years
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
40+ years39%
30-40 years24%
20-30 years34%

Caterer educational attainment

The most common degree for caterers is bachelor's degree, with 41% of caterers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 28% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
  • Bachelor's, 41%
  • High School Diploma, 28%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

Caterers by degree level

Caterer Degree
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Bachelor's41%
High School Diploma28%
Associate18%
Diploma7%
Other Degrees6%

Caterer Jobs You Might Like

Caterer wage gap by degree level

According to the data, caterers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $31,567 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, caterers earn a median annual income of $31,456 compared to $29,429 for caterers with an High School Diploma degree.
$33,000
$32,000
$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationascdescSalaryascdesc
High School Diploma or Less$29,429
Bachelor's Degree$31,456
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,567

Caterer employment statistics

Most caterers work for a private in the hospitality industry.

Company size where caterers work

Below, you can see the size of companies where caterers work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Caterer jobs by employer size

Company Size
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
< 50 employees9%
50 - 100 employees17%
100 - 500 employees20%
500 - 1,000 employees11%
1,000 - 10,000 employees29%
> 10,000 employees14%

Caterer jobs by company type

Employees with the caterer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most caterers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.

Education

Public

Private

Caterer jobs by sector

Company Type
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Education19%
Public9%
Private72%

Caterer jobs by industry

The most common industries for caterers are hospitality, education and professional.

Hospitality

Education

Professional

Retail

Manufacturing

Caterer turnover and employment statistics

Caterer unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for caterers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Unemployment rate

Caterer unemployment rate by year

Year
ascdesc
Caterer Unemployment Rate
ascdesc
20108.32%
20118.45%
20127.13%
20137.04%
20145.72%
20154.46%
20164.74%
20174.34%
20184.18%
20193.78%
20207.32%
20217.89%

Average caterer tenure

The average caterer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 7,779 caterers resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Caterer tenure statistics

Number of years
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Less than 1 year29%
1-2 years30%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years15%
8-10 years5%
11+ years9%

Caterer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of caterers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job TitleascdescLGBTascJob Openingsascdesc
Food Clerk6.78%113,838
Beverage Server7.02%79,100
Party Hostess7.29%9,255
Counter Attendant7.36%53,208
Head Bartender7.68%34,561
Sushi Chef7.85%17,846
Caterer10.00%-

Similar caterer jobs LGBT demographics

Profession
ascdesc
Percentages of LGBT
ascdesc
Job Openings
ascdesc
Food Clerk6.78%113,838
Beverage Server7.02%79,100
Party Hostess7.29%9,255
Counter Attendant7.36%53,208
Head Bartender7.68%34,561
Sushi Chef7.85%17,846

Foreign languages spoken by caterers

The most common foreign language among caterers is Spanish at 62.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.0% and German is the third-most popular at 3.1%.
  • Spanish, 62.9%
  • French, 10.0%
  • German, 3.1%
  • Russian, 3.1%
  • Chinese, 2.9%
  • Other, 18.0%

Caterer languages spoken

Foreign Language
ascdesc
Percentages
ascdesc
Spanish62.9%
French10.0%
German3.1%
Russian3.1%
Chinese2.9%
Other18.0%

Caterer Jobs

Recently Added Caterer Jobs

Caterer location demographics

The amount you can make as a caterer can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of caterers is $50,698. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where do caterers earn the most?

Caterers earn the most in New York, where the average caterer salary is $38,252. The map here shows where caterers earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average Salary

Which city has the most Caterers?

By looking through more than 7,779 resumes, we found that the most popular places for caterers are New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA.
Number of Caterers

Caterer jobs by state

Rank
ascdesc
State
ascdesc
Number of Jobs
ascdesc
Average Salary
ascdesc
1Indiana19$25,965
2Nebraska13$27,953
3Florida6$25,350
4South Carolina6$23,134
5Pennsylvania5$28,012
6California4$33,548
7Ohio4$26,276
8New York3$38,252
9Illinois3$26,346
10Texas3$25,658
11Massachusetts2$33,836
12North Dakota2$29,261
13Virginia2$32,014
14Iowa2$26,839
15Utah2$26,304
16Oklahoma2$25,459
17North Carolina2$26,699
18Arizona2$25,494
19Arkansas2$23,487
20New Mexico2$23,714
21Oregon1$29,500
22West Virginia1$24,988
23Tennessee1$25,864
24Rhode Island0$33,797
25Washington0$34,317
26Connecticut0$33,505
27Wyoming0$31,798
28Minnesota0$31,662
29Michigan0$29,628
30Vermont0$30,671
31Colorado0$31,119
32Delaware0$30,644
33New Hampshire0$29,759
34Maine0$29,658
35Montana0$28,958
36Hawaii0$32,625
37South Dakota0$28,060
38New Jersey0$30,018
39Alaska0$29,649
40Nevada0$28,236
41Idaho0$27,566
42District of Columbia0$29,577
43Maryland0$28,449
44Kansas0$25,835
45Kentucky0$24,871
46Wisconsin0$24,550
47Missouri0$24,936
48Mississippi0$23,852
49Georgia0$24,446
50Alabama0$23,002
51Louisiana0$22,515

Caterer Demographics FAQs

Search for caterer jobs

Loading...
Loading...

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs