BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasFood Preparation Workers

O*NET · 35-2021.00

Food Preparation 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.

Also called Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member) · BOH Team Member · Cafeteria Aide · Carver · Caterer · Caterer Helper · Catering Assistant · Chicken and Fish Butcher
76 more

Coffee Brewer · Coffee Maker · Cold Meat Cook · Cook · Cook Aide · Crew Mess Attendant · Culinary Worker · Deli Clerk · Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk) · Deli Slicer · Deli Slicer (Delicatessen Slicer) · Diet Aide · Dietary Aide · Dishwasher · Expo · Expo (Expeditor) · Food Expeditor (Food Expo) · Food Expo · Food Handler · Food Order Expediter (Food Order Expo) · Food Order Expo · Food Prep · Food Prep (Food Preparer) · Food Prep Kitchen Aide · Food Prep Worker · Food Preparation Kitchen Aide (Food Prep Kitchen Aide) · Food Preparation Worker (Food Prep Worker) · Food Server · Food Service Aide · Food Service Specialist · Food Service Worker (FSW) · Food Tray Assembler · Fruit and Vegetable Parer · FSW · Kitchen Assistant · Kitchen Clerk · Kitchen Crew · Kitchen Crew Member · Kitchen Food Assembler · Kitchen Helper · Kitchen Runner · Kitchen Staff · Kitchen Steward · Kitchen Team Crew Member · Kitchen Team Member · Kitchen Utility Associate · Kitchen Utility Worker · Kitchen Worker · Line Cook · Line Server · Meat Clerk · Mess Attendant · Nutrition Aide · Nutrition Helper · Pantry Cook · Pantry Goods Maker · Pantry Goods Worker · Pantry Worker · Parer · Pastry Cook Helper · Peeler · Pie Cutter · Pizza Maker · Prepared Foods Team Member · Produce Production Team Member · Raw Shellfish Preparer · Restaurant Crew Member · Restaurant Team Member · Restaurant Worker · Salad Bar Clerk · Salad Maker · Sandwich Artist · Sandwich Maker · Seafood Preparer · Slicer · Steward

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code RCS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCSRealistic · Conventional · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic6.40
  • C Conventional4.18
  • S Social2.71
  • E Enterprising2.23
  • A Artistic1.90
  • I Investigative1.35

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Less than a High School Diploma3%
  • High School Diploma or the equivalent70%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate1%
  • Some College Courses22%
  • Doctoral Degree4%
Related work experience
None (34%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (47%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (56%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic3.02.4Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Time Management3.02.1Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Service Orientation3.02.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Coordination2.92.1Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Speakingbasic2.92.1Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Critical Thinkingbasic2.82.0Level 2 looks like: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late
  • Social Perceptiveness2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic2.62.0Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Monitoringbasic2.51.9Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Quality Control Analysis2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Complex Problem Solving2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
Show the other 23

Tasks

24 core · 7 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.4.7
  2. Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.4.6
  3. Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.4.6
  4. Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.4.5
  5. Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.4.4
  6. Weigh or measure ingredients.4.4
  7. Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.4.4
  8. Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.4.4
  9. Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.4.3
  10. Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.4.3
  11. Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.4.3
  12. Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.4.2
Show the other 19
  1. Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.4.2
  2. Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.4.2
  3. Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.4.2
  4. Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.4.1
  5. Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.4.1
  6. Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.4.1
  7. Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.4.1
  8. Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.4.0
  9. Stir and strain soups and sauces.4.0
  10. Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.4.0
  11. Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.3.9
  12. Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.3.7
  13. Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.4.6
  14. Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.4.4
  15. Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.4.3
  16. Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.4.2
  17. Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.4.1
  18. Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.4.1
  19. Keep records of the quantities of food used.4.0

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service3.32.6
  • Food Production2.92.2Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Production and Processing2.72.8
  • English Language2.41.9Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Administration and Management2.31.7Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Education and Training1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Psychology1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Public Safety and Security1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
Show all 33
  • Administrative1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.7—
  • Chemistry1.6—
  • Communications and Media1.6—
  • Economics and Accounting1.6—
  • Foreign Language1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mathematics1.6—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Computers and Electronics1.5—
  • Law and Government1.5—
  • Mechanical1.5—
  • Physics1.5—
  • Sales and Marketing1.5—
  • Telecommunications1.5—
  • Therapy and Counseling1.5—
  • Transportation1.5—
  • Design1.4—
  • History and Archeology1.4—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.4—
  • Biology1.3—
  • Engineering and Technology1.3—
  • Fine Arts1.3—
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.3—
  • Building and Construction1.2—
  • Geography1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Near Vision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Oral Comprehension3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Understand a television commercial
  • Trunk Strength3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Finger Dexterity2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Manual Dexterity2.92.9
  • Oral Expression2.92.4Level 2 looks like: Place an order at a restaurant drive-thru
  • Speech Clarity2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Call numbers in a bingo game
Show all 52
  • Speech Recognition2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Information Ordering2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Category Flexibility2.62.6Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Deductive Reasoning2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Problem Sensitivity2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
  • Selective Attention2.62.0Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Extent Flexibility2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Inductive Reasoning2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Stamina2.52.0Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Far Vision2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Static Strength2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.31.9Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Written Comprehension2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Multilimb Coordination2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Time Sharing2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Auditory Attention2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Control Precision2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Depth Perception2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Dynamic Strength2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Flexibility of Closure2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Number Facility2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Perceptual Speed2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Speed of Closure2.01.8
  • Visualization2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Fluency of Ideas1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Mathematical Reasoning1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Memorization1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Originality1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Written Expression1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Write a note to remind someone to take food out of the freezer
  • Explosive Strength1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Spatial Orientation1.80.9
  • Reaction Time1.60.8
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.50.6
  • Rate Control1.40.4Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.3—
  • Response Orientation1.3—
  • Peripheral Vision1.1—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information3.93.1Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.72.5Level 1 looks like: Determine the meal selection for a cafeteria
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.62.5Level 1 looks like: Review forms for completeness
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.43.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.42.6
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.42.3Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.42.8
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.32.4Level 1 looks like: Write brief messages to others
Show all 41
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.32.8
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.22.8
  • Training and Teaching Others3.22.0Level 1 looks like: Give coworkers brief instructions on a simple procedural change
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.12.8
  • Developing and Building Teams3.02.0Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.02.0Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events2.93.3Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.81.9Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.62.0Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.51.7Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.51.8Level 1 looks like: Determine whether to remove a tree that has been damaged
  • Processing Information2.52.1Level 1 looks like: Calculate the costs for shipping packages
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.41.7Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.41.8Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Documenting/Recording Information2.41.5Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Keep up with price changes in a small retail store
  • Thinking Creatively2.31.1Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.20.9Level 1 looks like: Plan the holiday schedule for an airline workforce
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.22.5Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.21.1Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.20.9Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.11.1Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Performing Administrative Activities1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Working with Computers1.90.8Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization1.80.7Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.80.9Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.70.6Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.70.6Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.6—
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others1.60.7Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.5—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7
  • Spend Time Standing4.4
  • Contact With Others4.2
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.2
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.2
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.1
  • Time Pressure3.9
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team3.9
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities3.6
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls3.6

Technology

15 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (2)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
Other tools (13)
  • Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial
  • CBORD Foodservice Suite
  • CBORD NetRecipe
  • Culinary Software Services ChefTec
  • EGS CALCMENU
  • iPro
  • Master Cook Deluxe Professional Cook
  • Mealmaster Cookbook Wizard
  • MicroBlast Recipe Wizard for Windows
  • Quizlet
  • Recipe software
  • ValuSoft MasterCook
  • YouTube

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Cooks, Restaurant
  2. Cooks, Short Order
  3. Fast Food and Counter Workers
  4. Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
  5. Butchers and Meat Cutters
  6. Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
  7. Bakers
  8. Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
  9. Cooks, Fast Food
  10. Baristas

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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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. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.