Food Service · SOC 35-2021
Food prep is manual, varied, and physical — AI has little to offer beyond record-keeping at the margins.
Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
Timeline: Automated vegetable prep machines exist but are expensive; meaningful automation of food prep worker tasks at scale is unlikely before 2030, and even then will likely require human oversight and cleaning.
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$35,620 median pay
$44,530 median pay
$32,670 median pay
$30,160 median pay
$36,830 median pay
$34,460 median pay
AI job-risk card
Food Preparation Workers is resilient on AIFear. Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Food Preparation Workers is 22/100 (Resilient). Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
22 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Recording food and storage temperatures, Logging food quantities used, Storing food per specification. Harder to automate: Cleaning and sanitizing kitchen surfaces, Physical prep: cutting, washing, measuring, Carrying supplies between storage and stations, Removing waste and maintaining cleanliness.
Lean into Food safety and handling, Kitchen sanitation procedures, Physical stamina and speed, Following recipe specifications. Consider roles such as Line Cook or Kitchen Supervisor or School Nutrition Worker.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.