Food Preparation Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related · SOC 35-2021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 35-2021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 40/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $35,320
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 158,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -3.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 197,440 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Common titles: Cook, Cook Aide, Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk), Diet Aide, Dietary Aide, Food Prep (Food Preparer)
Representative 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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
- •Clean tableware.
- •Assist chefs or caterers with food or drink preparation.
- •Assess equipment functioning.
- •Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 60% Bright |
| Median Salary | $35,320 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |