Headline risk
10%
Low RiskFood preparation workers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 34,220
Employment 2024
902.7K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-3.4%
Openings (2024–34)
148.0K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of food preparation workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. AI use: 0%
- 2. Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas. AI use: 0%
- 3. Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers. AI use: 0%
- 4. Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage. AI use: 0%
- 5. Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items. AI use: 0%
- 6. Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 30.7 · 930K employed
Under 25: 40% · 25–54: 42% · 55+: 19%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Food preparation workers perform a variety of tasks other than cooking, such as slicing meat and brewing coffee.
Food preparation workers are employed in places where food is made or served, such as cafeterias, grocery stores, hospitals, and schools. Part-time work is common. Work schedules may vary to include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, or holidays.
Food preparation workers typically do not need a formal educational credential or previous work experience to enter the occupation. They learn through on-the-job training that usually lasts several weeks.
The median hourly wage for food preparation workers was $16.45 in May 2024.
Employment of food preparation workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.