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Date: 02/01/2026

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
    • Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
    • Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
    • Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
    • Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
    • Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
    • Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
    • Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
    • Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
    • Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
    • Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
    • Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
    • Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
    • Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
    • Keep records of the quantities of food used.
    • Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
    • Stir and strain soups and sauces.
    • Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
    • Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
    • Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
    • Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
    • Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
    • Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
    • Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
    • Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
    • Weigh or measure ingredients.
    • Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
    • Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
    • Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
    • Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
    • Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
    • Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
    • Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
    • Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
    • Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
    • Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
    • Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
    • Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
    • Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
    • Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.

    Skills

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    3
    Graphic Literacy
    3

    Abilities

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • 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.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 31590/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 15.19/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 21,500
    • Yearly Projected Openings 3800

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Belt conveyors
    • Cappuccino or espresso machines
    • Carbonated beverage dispenser
    • Commercial use blenders
    • Commercial use broilers
    • Commercial use coffee grinders
    • Commercial use coffee or iced tea makers
    • Commercial use cotton candy machines or accessories
    • Commercial use cutlery
    • Commercial use deep fryers
    • Commercial use dishwashers
    • Commercial use dough machines
    • Commercial use food choppers or cubers or dicers
    • Commercial use food grinders
    • Commercial use food processors
    • Commercial use food slicers
    • Commercial use food warmers
    • Commercial use griddles
    • Commercial use grills
    • Commercial use measuring cups
    • Commercial use microwave ovens
    • Commercial use mixers
    • Commercial use ovens
    • Commercial use pizza ovens
    • Commercial use popcorn machines
    • Commercial use ranges
    • Commercial use rotisseries
    • Commercial use scales
    • Commercial use steamers
    • Commercial use toasters
    • Commercial use woks
    • Ice dispensers
    • Ice shaver machines or accessories
    • Milkshake machines
    • Non carbonated beverage dispenser
    • Personal computers
    • Point of sale POS terminal
    • Roasting machinery
    • Slush machines
    • Soft serve machines

    Technology

    • Computer based training software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software

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