Food Preparation Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 35-2021.00
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.13
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 26 hidden tasks31 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (6.5%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.35-2021.00 | 0.026874.9 |
Keep records of the quantities of food used.35-2021.00 | 0.004612.7 |
Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.35-2021.00 | 0.00236.5 |
Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.35-2021.00 | 0.00215.8 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Keep records of the quantities of food used.O*NET Task ID 2216 | 1.0 |
Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.O*NET Task ID 18732 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (31)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage. | Core |
| Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons. | Core |
| Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets. | Core |
| Weigh or measure ingredients. | Core |
| Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items. | Core |
| Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas. | Core |
| Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals. | Core |
| Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers. | Core |
| Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks. | Core |
| Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas. | Core |
| Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches. | Core |
| Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers. | Core |
| Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods. | Core |
| Stir and strain soups and sauces. | Core |
| Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines. | Core |
| Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments. | Core |
| Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads. | Core |
| Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. | Core |
| Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures. | Core |
| Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers. | Core |
| Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving. | Core |
| Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items. | Core |
| Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor. | Core |
| Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets. | Core |
| Package take-out foods or serve food to customers. | Supplemental |
| Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers. | Supplemental |
| Keep records of the quantities of food used. | Supplemental |
| Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving. | Supplemental |
| Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking. | Supplemental |
| Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients. | Supplemental |
| Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change. | Supplemental |
1.03/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Weigh or measure ingredients. | E2 structured facilities |
| Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Stir and strain soups and sauces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines. | E2 structured facilities |
| Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments. | E2 structured facilities |
| Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers. | E0 none |
| Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Package take-out foods or serve food to customers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients. | E0 none |
| Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 909K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 881K
- Change (2025–35)
- -3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $35,320
- Typical education needed for entry
- No formal educational credential
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95220 | 주방 보조원 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 71060 | 도시락 제조원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 9412Kitchen Helpers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Kitchen helpers clear tables, clean kitchen areas, wash dishes, prepare ingredients and perform other duties to assist workers who prepare or serve food and beverages.
Tasks
- (a) cleaning kitchens, food preparation areas and service areas;
- (b) assisting cooks and chefs in preparation of food by washing, peeling, chopping, cutting, measuring and mixing ingredients;
- (c) assembling dishes for service;
- (d) unpacking checking, transferring, weighing and storing supplies in refrigerators, cupboards and other storage areas;
- (e) washing dishes and cooking utensils and putting them away;
- (f) preparing, cooking, toasting and heating simple food items.
Example occupations
Hand dishwasher · Kitchen assistant · Kitchen hand · Kitchen porter · Kitchen steward · Pantry attendant
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- kitchen assistantESCO 9412.1Same scope
Kitchen assistants assist in the preparation of food and cleaning of the kitchen area.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| G1608 | Ecailler / Ecaillère | This occupation is broader |
| G1602 | Commis / Commise de cuisine | Overlapping, not the same |
| G1607 | Employé / Employée de restauration collective | Overlapping, not the same |
| D1103 | Charcutier-traiteur / Charcutière-traiteuse | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 9310 | Ayudantes de cocina | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 29301 | Köche/Köchinnen (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 63301 | Berufe im Gastronomieservice (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 391 | 調理人 | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources