Food Preparation Workers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Experience
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Education
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, sewing machine operators, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $18K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $21K
Median Salary: $26K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $30K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $37K
Demand
Core Tasks
Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
Portion and wrap the food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
Keep records of the quantities of food used.
Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
Weigh or measure ingredients.
Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
Stir and strain soups and sauces.
Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
Prepare and serve a variety of beverages such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
88%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management
64%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Public Safety and Security
60%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language
59%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Food Production
59%
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Production and Processing
56%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mathematics
54%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Sales and Marketing
54%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Education and Training
52%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Personnel and Human Resources
51%
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
60%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
60%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation
60%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
60%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
60%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
60%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking
58%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
58%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making
53%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
53%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Top 10 Abilities
Near Vision
65%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness
63%
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity
63%
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Expression
63%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Finger Dexterity
60%
The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Information Ordering
60%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Clarity
60%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
60%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Trunk Strength
60%
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Oral Comprehension
58%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Top 10 Work Activities
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
81%
Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
77%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
74%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Handling and Moving Objects
74%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
74%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
72%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
71%
Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
70%
Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
Getting Information
70%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
70%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
Clean tableware.
Store supplies or goods in kitchens or storage areas.
Arrange food for serving.
Package food or supplies.
Assess equipment functioning.
Cook foods.
Serve food or beverages.
Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies.
Prepare foods for cooking or serving.
Move equipment, supplies or food to required locations.
Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
Cut cooked or raw foods.
Remove trash.
Measure ingredients.
Report information to managers or other personnel.
Assist chefs or caterers with food or drink preparation.
Mix ingredients.
Operate cash registers.
Process customer bills or payments.
Record operational or production data.
Clean food service areas.
Present food or beverage information or menus to customers.
Prepare hot or cold beverages.
Work Context
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Coordinate or Lead Others
How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
Education
Interests
Realistic
96%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
86%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
39%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social
39%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
24%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Self Control
82%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation
81%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Integrity
81%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Social Orientation
79%
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Attention to Detail
78%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
77%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
76%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Leadership
74%
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Concern for Others
73%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Persistence
73%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Relationships
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
29%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
24%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
24%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
24%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
