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Food Preparation Workers: Career Overview
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
The Daily Work of Food Preparation Workers Do?
Typical responsibilities of food preparation workers span:
- Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
- Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
- Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
- Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
- Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
- Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
- Weigh or measure ingredients.
- Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective food preparation workers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Food Preparation Workers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member)
- Cafeteria Aide
- Carver
- Caterer
- Caterer Helper
- Catering Assistant
- Chicken and Fish Butcher
- Coffee Brewer
Job Outlook
There are about 207,914 food preparation workers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Food Preparation Workers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $43,368 |
| Hourly median | $20.85 |
| 10th percentile | $25,184 |
| 25th percentile | $34,276 |
| 75th percentile | $52,461 |
| 90th percentile | $61,553 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $38,950 |
| Colorado | $38,670 |
| District of Columbia | $38,440 |
| California | $38,150 |
| Massachusetts | $37,780 |
| Hawaii | $37,240 |
| Vermont | $37,030 |
| Alaska | $36,710 |
| Oregon | $36,390 |
| New York | $36,030 |
| Maine | $35,730 |
| North Dakota | $35,700 |
| Arizona | $35,480 |
| Rhode Island | $35,460 |
| Connecticut | $35,420 |
| Florida | $35,190 |
| New Hampshire | $35,170 |
| New Jersey | $34,910 |
| Minnesota | $34,820 |
| Wyoming | $34,380 |
| Maryland | $34,310 |
| Illinois | $34,180 |
| Nevada | $33,910 |
| Delaware | $33,280 |
| Georgia | $32,890 |
| Michigan | $32,810 |
| Wisconsin | $32,810 |
| Nebraska | $32,420 |
| Utah | $32,090 |
| Ohio | $31,590 |
| Virginia | $31,500 |
| Idaho | $31,440 |
| Montana | $31,420 |
| Missouri | $30,530 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,150 |
| Indiana | $30,090 |
| South Carolina | $30,050 |
| Iowa | $29,840 |
| South Dakota | $29,820 |
| North Carolina | $29,410 |
| Kansas | $29,410 |
| New Mexico | $29,350 |
| Tennessee | $28,980 |
| Texas | $28,660 |
| Virgin Islands | $28,110 |
| West Virginia | $27,610 |
| Arkansas | $27,330 |
| Oklahoma | $26,450 |
| Alabama | $25,510 |
| Kentucky | $24,520 |
| Mississippi | $23,190 |
| Louisiana | $22,900 |
| Guam | $21,990 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,640 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for food preparation workers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $37,732 | 17.1% | 1.03 |
| New England | $36,399 | 4.3% | 0.98 |
| Rocky Mountains | $34,572 | 3.3% | 0.84 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,570 | 12.9% | 0.87 |
| Great Lakes | $32,554 | 11.0% | 0.82 |
| Plains States | $32,202 | 7.1% | 1.14 |
| Southeast | $29,767 | 28.3% | 1.37 |
| Southwest | $29,360 | 15.3% | 1.26 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Food Preparation Workers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $44,120 | 6,240 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $43,260 | 530 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $42,830 | 560 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $41,980 | 11,930 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $41,490 | 540 |
| Greeley, CO | CO | $41,340 | 590 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $40,810 | 1,340 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $39,660 | 12,470 |
Top Industries Employing Food Preparation Workers
Most food preparation workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 515,940 | $33,280 |
| Retail Trade | 233,660 | $35,270 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 54,410 | $33,800 |
| Educational Services | 33,580 | $36,190 |
| Manufacturing | 15,000 | $35,130 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 10,030 | $35,720 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 9,920 | $33,500 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3,400 | $33,390 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Food Preparation Workers Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for food preparation workers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Standing
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Food Preparation Workers
Most food preparation workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Food Service Managers (Supplemental)
- Chefs and Head Cooks (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Fast Food (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (Primary-Short)
- Cooks, Private Household (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Restaurant (Primary-Short)
- Cooks, Short Order (Primary-Short)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 35-2021.00 (Food Preparation Workers).
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