Headline risk
6%
Low RiskFast food and counter 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 duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
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 30,480
Employment 2024
3796.0K
Projected Change (2024–34)
6.1%
Openings (2024–34)
904.3K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Receive and process customer payments. AI use: 0%
- 2. Prepare or serve hot or cold beverages, such as coffee, espresso drinks, blended coffees, or teas. AI use: 0%
- 3. Clean or sanitize work areas, utensils, or equipment. AI use: 0%
- 4. Take customer orders and convey them to other employees for preparation. AI use: 0%
- 5. Describe menu items to customers, or suggest products that might appeal to them. AI use: 0%
- 6. Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 22.3 · 959K employed
Under 25: 67% · 25–54: 28% · 55+: 5%
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
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Food and beverage serving and related workers take and prepare orders, clear tables, and do other tasks associated with providing food and drink to customers.
Food and beverage serving and related workers are employed in restaurants, schools, and other dining places. Work shifts often include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Part-time work is common.
Food and beverage serving and related workers typically have no requirements for formal education or work experience to enter the occupation. They learn their skills on the job.
The median hourly wage for food and beverage serving and related workers was $14.92 in May 2024.
Overall employment of food and beverage serving and related workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
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.