# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-preparation-workers
- SOC code: 35-2021.00
- Career family: Food service
- Median annual pay: $35,320 (10th percentile $25,810, 90th percentile $45,340)
- Projected growth: Decline, -3.0%
- Openings a year: 135,700
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 90 |
| Investigative (I) | 6 |
| Artistic (A) | 15 |
| Social (S) | 28 |
| Enterprising (E) | 21 |
| Conventional (C) | 53 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 74/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 67/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 65/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 61/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 60/100)
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates (importance 60/100)
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information (importance 59/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 57/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 56/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 56/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Service Orientation, Time Management, Coordination, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Food Production, Production and Processing, English Language, Administration and Management, Psychology, Education and Training, Public Safety and Security, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources

## Also called

Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Cafeteria Aide, Carver, Caterer, Caterer Helper, Catering Assistant, Chicken and Fish Butcher, Coffee Brewer, Coffee Maker, Cold Meat Cook

## Related careers

- [Cooks, Restaurant](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-restaurant): $37,390 median pay
- [Cooks, Short Order](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-short-order): $35,880 median pay
- [Fast Food and Counter Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fast-food-and-counter-workers): $31,200 median pay
- [Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-institution-and-cafeteria): $37,450 median pay
- [Butchers and Meat Cutters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/butchers-and-meat-cutters): $40,140 median pay
- [Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dining-room-and-cafeteria-attendants-and-bartender-helpers): $33,980 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.