Careers / Food Preparation Workers
Food Preparation Workers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$35,320
United States, 2025
Employment
893,600
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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 code
- 35-2021.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Weigh or measure ingredients.
- Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
- Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$25,810
25th percentile
$29,950
75th percentile
$38,550
90th percentile
$45,340
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.6
- Social Perceptiveness2.6
- Monitoring2.5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4
- Quality Control Analysis2.1
- Management of Personnel Resources2.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 3 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
3
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 2.4 | Not selected | 2.4 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.1 | Not selected | 2.1 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 2.0 | Not selected | 2.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $44,810
Compare with Food Preparation WorkersSupplemental
National median $38,300
Compare with Food Preparation WorkersSupplemental
National median $35,730
Compare with Food Preparation WorkersSupplemental
National median $41,590
Compare with Food Preparation WorkersSupplemental
National median $44,080
Compare with Food Preparation WorkersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | $46,680 | 720 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $45,580 | 5,930 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $43,830 | 11,060 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $42,810 | 620 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $42,640 | 1,410 | 2025 |
| Yakima, WA | $41,750 | 600 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $41,000 | 14,470 | 2025 |
| WA | $40,910 | 19,510 | 2025 |
| Amherst Town, MA | $40,140 | 510 | 2025 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $40,030 | 210 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $39,770 | 44,930 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $39,690 | 650 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $39,660 | 9,630 | 2025 |
| DC | $39,600 | 3,970 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $39,470 | 6,640 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $39,400 | 580 | 2025 |
| CA | $39,350 | 112,750 | 2025 |
| Greeley, CO | $39,150 | 530 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $39,110 | 830 | 2025 |
| Merced, CA | $38,980 | 460 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Food Preparation Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.