Fast Food and Counter Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 35-3023.00
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· 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 here0.745Group-level value
Scale, 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
0.24
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
Exposed tasks only28 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (14.3%)
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
- 1 rated task is not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; its score is kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.35-3023.00 | 0.0100100.0 | 0.0300100.0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 26 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | ||
Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary. | —0 | —0 |
Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment. | —0 | —0 |
Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary. | —0 | —0 |
Balance receipts and payments in cash registers. | —0 | —0 |
Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper. | —0 | —0 |
Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars. | —0 | —0 |
Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures. | —0 | —0 |
Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas. | —0 | —0 |
Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory. | —0 | —0 |
Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages. | —0 | —0 |
Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food. | —0 | —0 |
Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing. | —0 | —0 |
Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout. | —0 | —0 |
Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines. | —0 | —0 |
Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals. | —0 | —0 |
Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready. | —0 | —0 |
Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals. | —0 | —0 |
Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders. | —0 | —0 |
Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags. | —0 | —0 |
Replenish foods at serving stations. | —0 | —0 |
Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees. | —0 | —0 |
Take customers' orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders. | —0 | —0 |
Distribute food to servers. | —0 | —0 |
Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions. | —0 | —0 |
Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions. | —0 | —0 |
Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs. | —0 | —0 |
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 |
|---|---|
Take customers' orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders.O*NET Task ID 23119 | 1.0 |
Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.O*NET Task ID 23104 | 0.5 |
Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs.O*NET Task ID 23125 | 0.5 |
Arrange reservations for patrons of dining establishments.O*NET Task ID 23126 | 0.5 |
Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.O*NET Task ID 23099 | 0.0 |
Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.O*NET Task ID 23100 | 0.0 |
Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.O*NET Task ID 23101 | 0.0 |
Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.O*NET Task ID 23102 | 0.0 |
Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.O*NET Task ID 23103 | 0.0 |
Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.O*NET Task ID 23105 | 0.0 |
Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.O*NET Task ID 23106 | 0.0 |
Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.O*NET Task ID 23107 | 0.0 |
Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.O*NET Task ID 23108 | 0.0 |
Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.O*NET Task ID 23109 | 0.0 |
Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.O*NET Task ID 23110 | 0.0 |
Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.O*NET Task ID 23111 | 0.0 |
Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals.O*NET Task ID 23112 | 0.0 |
Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.O*NET Task ID 23113 | 0.0 |
Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders.O*NET Task ID 23114 | 0.0 |
Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.O*NET Task ID 23115 | 0.0 |
Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags.O*NET Task ID 23116 | 0.0 |
Replenish foods at serving stations.O*NET Task ID 23117 | 0.0 |
Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees.O*NET Task ID 23118 | 0.0 |
Distribute food to servers.O*NET Task ID 23120 | 0.0 |
Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals.O*NET Task ID 23121 | 0.0 |
Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions.O*NET Task ID 23122 | 0.0 |
Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready.O*NET Task ID 23123 | 0.0 |
Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions.O*NET Task ID 23124 | 0.0 |
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 (27)
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 |
|---|---|
| Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. | Core |
| Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary. | Core |
| Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment. | Core |
| Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary. | Core |
| Balance receipts and payments in cash registers. | Core |
| Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper. | Core |
| Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars. | Core |
| Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures. | Core |
| Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas. | Core |
| Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory. | Core |
| Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages. | Core |
| Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food. | Core |
| Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing. | Core |
| Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout. | Core |
| Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines. | Core |
| Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals. | Core |
| Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready. | Core |
| Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals. | Supplemental |
| Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders. | Supplemental |
| Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags. | Supplemental |
| Replenish foods at serving stations. | Supplemental |
| Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees. | Supplemental |
| Take customers' orders and write ordered items on tickets, giving ticket stubs to customers when needed to identify filled orders. | Supplemental |
| Distribute food to servers. | Supplemental |
| Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions. | Supplemental |
| Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions. | Supplemental |
| Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs. | Supplemental |
0.90/ 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 |
|---|---|
| Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary. | E2 structured facilities |
| Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Balance receipts and payments in cash registers. | E2 structured facilities |
| Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines. | E2 structured facilities |
| Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Replenish foods at serving stations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Distribute food to servers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Arrange tables and decorations according to instructions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Plan, prepare, and deliver meals to individuals with special dietary needs. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 35-3023 group (Fast food and counter workers), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 3.9M
- Projected employment, 2035
- 4.1M
- Change (2025–35)
- +5.8%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $31,200
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95210 | 패스트푸드 준비원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 45219 | 그 외 음료 조리원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
| 45312 | 음료 서비스 종사원 | 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 5246Food Service Counter Attendants
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Food service counter attendants serve customers at food counters and finish preparation of simple food items in restaurants, cafes, hotels, fast food outlets, cafeterias, hospitals and other settings.
Tasks
- (a) serving food to customers at counters;
- (b) ascertaining the products desired by the customer, assisting them in making choices and taking orders;
- (c) cleaning, peeling, slicing and trimming foodstuffs using manual and electric appliances;
- (d) preparing simple food items and reheating prepared meals;
- (e) portioning and wrapping food or placing it directly on plates for service to patrons;
- (f) packaging takeaway food;
- (g) stocking refrigerators, salad, buffet bars and keeping records of the quantities of food used;
- (h) receiving payment for food items purchased.
Example occupations
Cafeteria counter attendant · Salad bar 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.
- quick service restaurant crew memberESCO 9411.2Same scope
Quick service restaurant crew members prepare, cook and serve food and beverages in a quick service operation.
- street food vendorESCO 5212.1This occupation is broader
Street food vendors sell food preparations, dishes and products on organised outdoor or indoor market places, or on the streets. They prepare the food in their stalls. Street food vendors use sales techniques to recommend their products to passers-by.
- waiter/waitressESCO 5131.2Overlapping, not the same
Waiters/waitresses supply guests with food and drinks as requested. Waiters/waitresses usually work in restaurants, bars and hotels. This involves the preparation of tables, serving food or beverages and taking payments.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| G1603 | Equipier polyvalent / Equipière polyvalente de restauration rapide | This occupation is broader |
| G1607 | Employé / Employée de restauration collective | Overlapping, not the same |
| G1612 | Crêpier / Crêpière | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 9320 | Preparadores de comidas rápidas | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| 5120 | Camareros asalariados | Related, not a matchprovisional |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 62301 | Berufe im Verkauf von Lebensmitteln (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 63301 | Berufe im Gastronomieservice (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
| 63312 | Berufe in der Systemgastronomie - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 403 | 飲食物給仕従事者 | 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