Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Food service, cleaning, and personal care / 35-2021.00

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.

US jobs
893,600
Median wage
$35,320 a year
Job family
Food service, cleaning, and personal care

Can agents do the work of food preparation workers?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Food service, cleaning, and personal care: Not yet (first measured in the last 12 months)

Direct benchmarks exist, but agents complete less than 20% of their tasks.

Evidence: BEHAVIOR Challenge 2025, 12.4% of tasks fully completed (Full task success rate).

64% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 32%Prepare foods or beveragesMeasured
  • 16%Stock supplies or productsMeasured
  • 7%Dispose of waste or debrisNot measured
  • 6%Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areasMeasured
  • 6%Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objectsMeasured
  • 4%Move materials, equipment, or suppliesMeasured
  • 4%Communicate with others about operational plans or activitiesNot measured
  • 4%Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipmentNot measured

Benchmarks for this occupation

These benchmarks name this occupation in their job mapping.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in food service, cleaning, and personal care, not always this occupation's tasks.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
  • Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
  • Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
  • Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
  • Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
  • Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
  • Weigh or measure ingredients.
  • Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
  • Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
  • Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
  • Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
  • Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
Other job titles for this occupation (74)

Cook · Cook Aide · Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk) · Diet Aide · Dietary Aide · Food Prep (Food Preparer) · Food Service Aide · Food Service Worker (FSW) · Line Cook · Nutrition Aide · Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member) · Cafeteria Aide · Carver · Caterer · Caterer Helper · Catering Assistant · Chicken and Fish Butcher · Coffee Brewer · Coffee Maker · Cold Meat Cook · Crew Mess Attendant · Culinary Worker · Deli Slicer (Delicatessen Slicer) · Dishwasher · Expo (Expeditor) · Food Expeditor (Food Expo) · Food Handler · Food Order Expediter (Food Order Expo) · Food Preparation Kitchen Aide (Food Prep Kitchen Aide) · Food Preparation Worker (Food Prep Worker) · Food Server · Food Service Specialist · Food Tray Assembler · Fruit and Vegetable Parer · Kitchen Assistant · Kitchen Clerk · Kitchen Crew · Kitchen Crew Member · Kitchen Food Assembler · Kitchen Helper · Kitchen Runner · Kitchen Staff · Kitchen Steward · Kitchen Team Crew Member · Kitchen Team Member · Kitchen Utility Associate · Kitchen Utility Worker · Kitchen Worker · Line Server · Meat Clerk · Mess Attendant · Nutrition Helper · Pantry Cook · Pantry Goods Maker · Pantry Goods Worker · Pantry Worker · Parer · Pastry Cook Helper · Peeler · Pie Cutter · Pizza Maker · Prepared Foods Team Member · Produce Production Team Member · Raw Shellfish Preparer · Restaurant Crew Member · Restaurant Team Member · Restaurant Worker · Salad Bar Clerk · Salad Maker · Sandwich Artist · Sandwich Maker · Seafood Preparer · Slicer · Steward