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Food Preparation and Serving Worker

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AVG. SALARY

$27,910

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EDUCATION

No standard requirement

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

Fast Food and Counter Workers Career Video

About This Career

Performs duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serves customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.

This career is part of the Hospitality and Tourism cluster Restaurants and Food/Beverage Services pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Communicates with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
  • Scrubs and polishes counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and cleans glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
  • Accepts payment from customers, and makes change as necessary.
  • Performs cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
  • Requests and records customer orders, and computes bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
  • Balances receipts and payments in cash registers.
  • Serves food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
  • Prepares daily food items, and cooks simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
  • Cleans and organizes eating, service, and kitchen areas.
  • Monitors and orders supplies or food items, and restocks as necessary to maintain inventory.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
  • Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Rotating shift work
  • Weekend work

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Concession Cashier
  • Food Service Aide
  • Snack Bar Attendant
  • Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker)
  • Food Service Assistant
  • Food Service Worker — Duties include responsibility for instructing subordinate food service workers in dining hall techniques and methods; for maintaining high standards of cleanliness; and for assuring that patrons are served in a pleasant and courteous manner.
  • School Cafeteria Cook
  • Food Server
  • Cafe Server
  • Cafeteria Server

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support