Food Preparation Workers
On the Job
Food Preparation Workers perform a variety of tasks related to cooking, such as preparing cold foods, slicing meat, or brewing coffee.
Physical Demands 
This career requires time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Arrange food for serving.
- Assist chefs or caterers with food or drink preparation.
- Cook foods.
- Cut cooked or raw foods.
- Package food or supplies.
- Prepare foods for cooking or serving.
- Prepare hot or cold beverages.
- Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies.
- Store supplies or goods in kitchens or storage areas.
- Measure ingredients.
Typical Working Conditions
- Standing.
- Working with a group or team.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
