According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, well over 500,000 Americans work in food preparation with duties other than cooking. Specifically, this half-million population group prepares cold foods and slices meat— they’re deli workers.
There is no real shortage of deli workers across the United States, but there is a perceived flood in this market in Louisiana and Mississippi, where there are more deli workers per 1,000 jobs than just about any other state. Consequently, these two states pay the lowest wages for the position.
The most difficult place for deli workers to find employment is in the northern part of the country, specifically in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Mean hourly wage: $10.15
Required education: Less than high school
Required experience: None
Percentage of food service industry employment: 5%
—Jeremy Howard
