Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Food service, cleaning, and personal care / 35-3023.00

Fast Food and Counter Workers

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

US jobs
3,854,050
Median wage
$31,200 a year
Job family
Food service, cleaning, and personal care

Can agents do the work of fast food and counter 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).

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 17%Provide food or beverage servicesNot measured
  • 12%Prepare foods or beveragesNot measured
  • 11%Execute financial transactionsNot measured
  • 10%Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areasNot measured
  • 6%Package objectsNot measured
  • 6%Provide information to guests, clients, or customersNot measured
  • 5%Stock supplies or productsNot measured
  • 4%Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objectsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

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

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.

Typical tasks

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

  • Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
  • Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
  • Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
  • Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
  • Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
  • Serve 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.
  • Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
  • Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
  • Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.
  • Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
  • Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
  • Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
Other job titles for this occupation (80)

Cafe Server · Cafeteria Server · Cafeteria Worker · Counter Worker · Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker) · Dietary Aide · Food Server · Food Service Worker · Server · Snack Bar Attendant · Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member) · Bakery Associate · Barista · Bistro Team Member · Cafe Worker · Cafeteria Food Server · Cafeteria Lunchroom Counter Attendant · Candy Attendant · Candy Bar Attendant · Candy Counter Clerk · Canteen Operator · Carhop · Caterer's Aide · Caterer's Helper · Catering Assistant · Catering Attendant · Coffee Attendant · Coffee Brewer · Coffee Shop Attendant · Concession Attendant · Concession Stand Attendant · Concessionaire · Counter Attendant · Counter Clerk · Counter Helper · Counter Hop · Counter Person · Counter Waiter · Counter Waitress · Crew Member · Deli Associate (Delicatessen Associate) · Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk) · Deli Team Member (Delicatessen Team Member) · Dish Up Person · Fast Food Cashier · Fast Food Server · Fast Food Team Member · Fast Food Worker · Food Champion · Food Counter Worker · Food Service Assistant · Food Service Associate · Food Service Counter Clerk · Food Service Order Clerk · Food Service Specialist · Food Service Team Member · Food Team Member · Fountain Attendant · Fountain Clerk · Fountain Dispenser · Fountain Helper · Fountain Jerk · Fountain Operator · Fountain Server · Fountain Waiter · Fountain Waitress · Front Counter Attendant · Front of House Team Member (FOH Team Member) · Hot Dog Vender · Hot Dog Vendor · Ice Cream Dipper · Ice Cream Man · Ice Cream Scooper · Ice Cream Server · Ice Cream Shop Associate · Kitchen Food Server · Kitchen Team Member · Line Person · Line Server · Meat Clerk