- 'Job misery' index: 87.8 - Median pay: $19,000 - 'High meaning' score: 33% - 'High satisfaction' score: 46% While the median wage is low for this industry, those who work in food preparation for rail transportation stand to make more than twice what workers in other areas of this category make. California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Ohio have the highest employment levels for food preparation and serving workers in the country. As of April 2024, a new law in California raised the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour, making them the highest-paid fast-food workers nationwide.

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