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Hospitals & Healthcare
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
This role covers the food service jobs that do not fit neatly into one standard title, from prepping ingredients to assembling meals and keeping service areas moving. The work is defined by speed, cleanliness, and consistency under pressure: you have to get food out quickly without missing safety rules or portion standards. It is usually easy to enter, but the tradeoff is modest pay and limited room to move up unless you shift into a lead or supervisor role.
Also known as Food Service WorkerFood Prep WorkerKitchen HelperCafeteria WorkerDining Services Associate
Median Salary
$34,830
Mean $35,990
U.S. Workforce
~90K
14.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+6.4%
90.5K to 96.3K
Entry Education
No formal educational credential
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other sits in the Hospitality category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~90K workers, with a median annual pay of $34,830 and roughly 14.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 90.5 K in 2024 to 96.3K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with No formal educational credential, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Kitchen Helper / Dishwasher and can progress toward Food Service Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Food Safety & Sanitation, Commercial Kitchen Equipment, and Portion Control & Plating, paired with soft skills such as Reliability, Attention to Detail, and Teamwork.
Core Responsibilities
- Set up food stations, prep ingredients, and portion items so service can start on time.
- Assemble meals, sides, or drinks while following recipes, serving sizes, and special requests.
- Hand food to customers, patients, students, or guests and answer basic questions about the menu.
- Keep counters, trays, utensils, and work surfaces cleaned and sanitized during the shift.
Keep exploring: more Hospitality careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Set up food stations, prep ingredients, and portion items so service can start on time.
02 Assemble meals, sides, or drinks while following recipes, serving sizes, and special requests.
03 Hand food to customers, patients, students, or guests and answer basic questions about the menu.
04 Keep counters, trays, utensils, and work surfaces cleaned and sanitized during the shift.
05 Refill ingredients, disposables, and other supplies, and let the team know when stock is running low.
06 Check food temperatures, holding times, and other safety rules before items go out to serve.
Industries That Hire
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Schools & Universities
Harvard University, University of Texas at Austin, Arizona State University
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Restaurants & Fast Food
McDonald's, Chipotle, Starbucks
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Hotels & Resorts
Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt
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Food Service Contractors
Aramark, Sodexo, Compass Group
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can usually get in without a degree, and the typical training is short-term on the job.
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There are a lot of openings: about 14.6K annual openings and nearly 89.6K workers already in the field.
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The job exists in many settings, so you can find work in schools, hospitals, restaurants, and contract dining.
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The skills transfer well to other food-service jobs if you want to move into prep, serving, or supervision later.
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The work is hands-on and concrete, which appeals to people who prefer active tasks over desk work.
Challenges
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The pay is modest, with a median annual wage of $34,830 and a mean of $35,990.
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Growth is only 6.4% through 2034, so this is a steady job rather than a fast-expanding one.
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Much of the work is repetitive, physical, and done on your feet for long stretches.
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Schedules often include nights, weekends, holidays, and rush periods when service gets hectic.
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The role has a real wage ceiling and limited advancement, and automation or self-service ordering can trim some serving work over time.
Career Progression
Kitchen Helper / Dishwasher
0-1 years
$28K-$32K
Beginners clean, restock, and handle simple prep work while learning the pace and safety rules of a commercial kitchen.
Food Preparation and Serving Worker
1-3 years
$33K-$39K
Workers at this level handle the core serving and prep duties, keep stations stocked, and work smoothly during busy meal periods.
Shift Lead THIS ROLE
3-6 years
$40K-$47K
Shift leads keep the line moving, solve small service problems, and help newer workers stay on pace and follow procedures.
Food Service Supervisor
6+ years
$48K-$60K
Supervisors handle scheduling, quality checks, inventory issues, and customer or client concerns across the whole service area.
Education Paths
No formal educational credential
This is the most direct entry point for the job, which fits a role that only requires short-term on-the-job training.
High school diploma or GED
Many employers prefer this background because it shows basic reading, math, and schedule-management skills, even though the job does not require it.
Food handler card or short food-safety certificate
A short certification can help with hiring in kitchens and cafeterias where food-safety rules are strict.
Culinary arts or hospitality certificate
This is a useful alternative for workers who want a more structured path into food service, especially if they plan to move into prep or lead roles.
Key Skills
Technical
Food Safety & Sanitation 90%
Commercial Kitchen Equipment 84%
Portion Control & Plating 82%
POS Systems & Order Tickets 74%
Inventory Rotation & Stocking 70%
Basic Knife Skills 68%
Temperature Monitoring & Food Holding 66%
Soft Skills
ReliabilityAttention to DetailTeamworkSpeed Under PressureCustomer ServiceClear Communication Job Outlook and Trends
+6.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
14.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 90.5K to 96.3 K over the next decade, representing 6.4% growth. Around 14.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.