What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Food Preparation Workers in the U.S. earn more than $35,320 a year — the middle 80% land between $25,810 and $45,340. About 893,600 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Food Preparation Workers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Service and sales workers earn about ₹15,575 a month on average — around ₹1.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$35,320typical pay / year
893,600people in this work
$45,340+top 10% earn
₹1.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Fixing1
Wash, peel, and cut vegetables and fruits
+Wash, peel, and trim 30 pounds of carrots and 15 pounds of apples to produce uniform dice for tonight's stew,…
Wash, peel, and cut vegetables and fruits
+Wash, peel, and trim 30 pounds of carrots and 15 pounds of apples to produce uniform dice for tonight's stew, change water every 10 pounds, place prepped produce in labeled, covered pans, and move them to walk-in by 2pm.
The tools that do the workCBORD Foodservicejob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Protecting1
Keep workstation organized and sanitary
+Clean and sanitize the prep counter, put away knives and cutting boards in designated racks, wipe and label…
Keep workstation organized and sanitary
+Clean and sanitize the prep counter, put away knives and cutting boards in designated racks, wipe and label leftover containers, empty and sanitize the veg sink, and complete the end-of-shift sanitation checklist before leaving.
The tools that do the workCBORD NetRecipejob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Make1
Support kitchen staff with ingredient prep
+Gather measured dry and chilled ingredients for the lunch line, assemble mise en place stations for sauce,…
Support kitchen staff with ingredient prep
+Gather measured dry and chilled ingredients for the lunch line, assemble mise en place stations for sauce, proteins, and sides, hand portions to cooks on demand, and report any missing items to the production supervisor immediately.
The tools that do the workBarrington Software CookenPro Commercialjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work15
Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
+Operate the cash register for the noon meal shift, ring up student and staff orders accurately, accept cash…
Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
+Operate the cash register for the noon meal shift, ring up student and staff orders accurately, accept cash and cards, count the drawer at the start and end of the shift, and give exact change so the till balances before you sign off.
The tools that do the workCBORD FoodserviceO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
+Package take-out meals for the lunch line: portion hot entrees and cold sides into labelled containers, seal…
Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
+Package take-out meals for the lunch line: portion hot entrees and cold sides into labelled containers, seal and bag them, include utensils and condiments, and hand to customers with a friendly check of dietary needs.
The tools that do the workCBORD FoodserviceO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Slice and grind meats and seafood
+Slice and grind meats and seafood to order: trim to remove fat and bones, set appropriate grind plate and…
Slice and grind meats and seafood
+Slice and grind meats and seafood to order: trim to remove fat and bones, set appropriate grind plate and slice thickness, keep surfaces chilled, and label portions with date and use-by before refrigeration.
The tools that do the workCulinary Software Services ChefTecjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Store ingredients properly and rotate stock
+Store incoming ingredients, check expiry dates, rotate stock using first-in first-out, place dairy on top…
Store ingredients properly and rotate stock
+Store incoming ingredients, check expiry dates, rotate stock using first-in first-out, place dairy on top shelves and raw meats below, and record any damaged items on the delivery log.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Help with basic cooking tasks like steaming vegetables
+Help steam vegetables for the dinner service: wash and trim produce, load steamers to avoid overcrowding, set…
Help with basic cooking tasks like steaming vegetables
+Help steam vegetables for the dinner service: wash and trim produce, load steamers to avoid overcrowding, set time and steam level appropriate to the vegetable, and cool or serve immediately to maintain texture.
The tools that do the workMaster Cook Deluxe Professional Cookjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Control and regulate temperatures
+Control and regulate kitchen temperatures: monitor refrigerator, freezer and holding cabinet temps hourly,…
Control and regulate temperatures
+Control and regulate kitchen temperatures: monitor refrigerator, freezer and holding cabinet temps hourly, log readings, adjust thermostat or report faults immediately, and quarantine any product outside safe ranges.
The tools that do the workCBORD FoodserviceESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Keep records of the quantities of food used.
+Record the day’s quantities used for milk, bread, vegetables, proteins and condiments from the service line…
Keep records of the quantities of food used.
+Record the day’s quantities used for milk, bread, vegetables, proteins and condiments from the service line into the daily food-usage log, check totals against the morning order and flag any variance over 5 percent.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Assist in managing inventory and food labels
+Audit pantry and cooler shelves, update the inventory counts and expiry dates on the stock list, relabel any…
Assist in managing inventory and food labels
+Audit pantry and cooler shelves, update the inventory counts and expiry dates on the stock list, relabel any items with new use-by dates and create a short restock note for the charge cook for items below par levels.
The tools that do the workCBORD Foodservicejob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Help with food prep for cold foods and salads
+Prepare all components for cold service: wash and spin romaine and mixed greens, portion dressings into…
Help with food prep for cold foods and salads
+Prepare all components for cold service: wash and spin romaine and mixed greens, portion dressings into labeled containers, slice vegetables to required thickness and chill everything to service temperature with times recorded.
The tools that do the workMaster Cook Deluxe Professional Cookjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
+Assemble patient meal trays according to each diet ticket: check the card for allergies and texture, place…
Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
+Assemble patient meal trays according to each diet ticket: check the card for allergies and texture, place items in the prescribed positions, seal trays, and mark any missing items to notify the charge dietitian.
The tools that do the workCBORD NetRecipeO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Stir and strain soups and sauces.
+Stir large batches of soup and sauce to maintain even heat, strain into the holding kettles through the mesh…
Stir and strain soups and sauces.
+Stir large batches of soup and sauce to maintain even heat, strain into the holding kettles through the mesh to remove solids, note batch number and cooling start time on the container label.
The tools that do the workCulinary Software Services ChefTecO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
+Scrape plate scrapings into designated compost or waste containers, separate recyclables, weigh the waste to…
Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
+Scrape plate scrapings into designated compost or waste containers, separate recyclables, weigh the waste to the shift counter, and log the weight and container code on the waste record before sanitizing the tray return area.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Assign specific baking tasks
+Split the morning bakery into stations, give Maria the dough mixing and starter refresh, assign Jamal the…
Assign specific baking tasks
+Split the morning bakery into stations, give Maria the dough mixing and starter refresh, assign Jamal the proofing and shaping, and tell Priya to manage oven schedules and finish times so all batches leave at 0900.
The tools that do the workMaster Cook Deluxe Professional CookESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Direct workers in task performance
+Walk the line at 0700, demonstrate the portioning and plating steps to new hires, correct technique in real…
Direct workers in task performance
+Walk the line at 0700, demonstrate the portioning and plating steps to new hires, correct technique in real time, log each worker's completed tasks, and schedule a 15-minute skills review after lunch for anyone still inconsistent.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCO
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Follow hygienic procedures during food processing
+Inspect handwashing, glove changes, hair restraints and surface sanitising before production starts, remove…
Follow hygienic procedures during food processing
+Inspect handwashing, glove changes, hair restraints and surface sanitising before production starts, remove any contaminated items, log noncompliance with timestamp and corrective action, and repeat checks hourly during the run.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses