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.
What it pays
Food Preparation Workers earn a median of $16.98/hr — about $35,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $12.41/hr; the top 10% earn $21.80/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Food Preparation Workers earn a median of $16.98/hr — about $35,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $12.41/hr; the top 10% earn $21.80/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.5% of food preparation workers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
- Dishwashers
- Cooks, Short Order
Quick questions
- How much does a food preparation worker make?
- The median pay is $16.98 per hour — roughly $35,500 a year, with the real range running from about $12.41/hr (10th percentile) to $21.80/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a food preparation worker?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a food preparation worker actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.