Data & Research
 
* ELMI Occupation Profile - Food Preparation Workers *
 
Food Preparation Workers
(O*NET 35-2021.00, SOC 35-2021)
What they do
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
 
Also called:
Cook, Cook Aide, Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk), Diet Aide, Dietary Aide, Food Prep (Food Preparer), Food Service Aide, Food Service Worker (FSW), Line Cook, Nutrition Aide
 
 
Wages
Vermont - 2024
Percentile1HourlyYearly
10% $ 15.04   $31,290  
25% $ 16.59   $34,500  
Median $ 17.80   $37,030  
75% $ 21.38   $44,480  
90% $ 23.16   $48,170  
 
Average $ 18.86   $39,220  
1 What are Percentile Wages?
More at CareerOneStop
 
Industries of Employment
United States - 2022
IndustryPercent of total
  • Food services and drinking places
60%
  • Food and beverage retailers
19%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities
3%
  • Educational services; state, local, and private
3%
  • General merchandise retailers
2%
More at BLS
 
Knowledge
People in this career often know a lot about:
  • Customer and Personal Service
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
More at O*NET
 
Skills
People in this career often have these skills:
  • Active Listening
    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service Orientation
    Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Time Management
    Managing one's own time and the time of others.
More at O*NET
 
Interests
People in this career often prefer these work environments:
  • Realistic
    Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Conventional
    Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler
 
Work Styles
People in this career will do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Self-Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Independence
    Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Initiative
    Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
More at O*NET
 
Tasks
On the job, you would:
  • 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.
More at O*NET
 
Related Occupations
More at O*NET
 
 
Career Video
Watch at CareerOneStop with transcript or at YouTube.
 
Projected Employment
 Vermont
2022 employment 1,521
2032 employment 1,570
Annual percent change
(compounded)
0.3%
Annual projected job openings
(due to change and separations)
280
More at Occupational Projections
 
Education and Experience:
  • Typical education needed for entry
    No formal educational credential
  • Work experience in a related occupation
    None
  • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
    Short-term on-the-job training
Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications
 
Physical Work Activity
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
 
  • Physical activity is Important
  • Level of activity is Moderate
Importance
Low   High
Level
Compare Occupations at O*NET
 
Job Zone
Some Preparation Needed
  • Specific Vocational Preparation Range
    (4.0 to < 6.0) - A typical worker will require over 3 months up to and including 1 year of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP
 
Education Level
How much education do most people in this career have?
Education level Percent of
U.S. Workers
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate
  4%
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate
  0%
Bachelor's degree   0%
Associate's degree   0%
Certificate or some college,
no degree
  24%
High school diploma
or equivalent
  69%
Less than high school diploma   3%
More at O*NET
 
Abilities
People in this career often have talent in:
  • Near Vision
    The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Trunk Strength
    The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
More at O*NET
 
Work Activities
In general, what you might do:
  • Getting Information
    Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Performing General Physical Activities
    Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
More at O*NET
 
Detailed Work Activities
What you might do in a day:
  • Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
  • Clean tableware.
  • Assist chefs or caterers with food or drink preparation.
  • Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
  • Assess equipment functioning.
More at O*NET
 
Other Resources
  • CareerOneStop
    resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
  • O*NET Online
    nation's primary source of occupational information
 
O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

BLS

This page includes information produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and State Occupational Projections programs.

 
 
 
 
Vermont.gov State of Vermont Department of Labor