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Food Preparation Workers

General Information

Description

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

Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. Private, for profit88.61%
  2. State and local government4.99%
  3. Private, not for profit4.07%
  4. Self-employed1.65%
  5. Federal government0.52%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Job Outlook

Employment of food preparation workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 149,800 openings for food preparation workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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Job Outlook

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Employment of food preparation workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 149,800 openings for food preparation workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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No Information for this section

Salary

Average Salary

Salary

$26,070

State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

$32,560
$18,700
No Information for this section

Education

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • High school 44%
  • Less than high school 37%
  • Post-master's certificate 13%
  • Bachelor's degree 3%
  • Some college 0%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Associate's degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • First professional degree 0%
  • Post-secondary certificate 0%

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Administration and Management
  • Production and Processing
  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership
No Information for this section

* Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.