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Food Preparation Workers

In the Food Preparation Workers occupation, workers perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea. O*NET rates it as some preparation, which usually means a few months to a year of learning on the job. It leans on time management, service orientation, and active listening. Expect to clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. On the six-type interest model it reads RCS, meaning hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world comes first, followed by orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need research, analysis and working through hard problems, it may feel thin.

What they do

Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

Main tasks

  • 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.

Skills

  • Time Management
  • Service Orientation
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Coordination
  • Critical Thinking

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on time management and service orientation.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 1.4 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCS takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Cook
  • Cook Aide
  • Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk)
  • Diet Aide
  • Dietary Aide

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.