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.
About the profession
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
How to Get Started
Take a personality test to see if Food Preparation Workers fits your profile
Career Match Test →Explore the Career Path section to see progression from junior to senior
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Occupation on screen: Food Preparation Workers (O*NET 35-2021.00). Closed captions in English and Spanish. CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Personality Fit
Based on the Food Preparation Workers role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Enterprising
Leading, persuading, business
Artistic
Creative, expressive, original thinking
Social
Helping, teaching, working with people
Not sure if these types match you? Take the full RIASEC assessment (4 min) to discover your personality profile and see how it aligns with hundreds of careers.
Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Trainee Food Preparation Worker → Technician Food Preparation Worker → Senior Technician Food Preparation Worker → Lead Technician Food Preparation Worker
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
$43K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $22,970 - $27,975/year With equity/bonuses: $25,267 - $33,570 Top markets (SF/NYC): $26,415 - $33,570 Execute core tasks using Active Listening…
Skills used in this career
Click any skill to see how to learn it and what salary boost it gives
Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
9am, Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. 10am, Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $16,079 - $25,178 Year 2-3: Junior level $27,975 - $31,331 Year 4-6: Mid level $31,331 - $33,969 Year 7-10: Senior level $33,969 - $39,884 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions, answer honestly
You find the craft of a Food Preparation Worker genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Active Listening and Service Orientation You communicate clearly…
💰 Salary Range
BLS OEWS, May 2023Half of U.S. workers in this occupation earn more than this, half earn less.
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Related Reading
Related Holland / RIASEC Types