Food Preparation Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
• Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
• Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
• Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
• Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
• Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
• Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
• Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
• Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
• Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
• Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
• Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
• Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
• Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
• Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
• Weigh or measure ingredients.
• Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
• Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
• Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
• Keep records of the quantities of food used.
• Stir and strain soups and sauces.
• Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
• Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
• Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
• Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
• Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
• Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
• Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
• Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
• Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
• Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
• Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
• Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
• Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
• Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
• Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
• Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
• Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.

Skills

• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

Abilities

• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.

Knowledge

• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

38950/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

18.73/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

16,270

Yearly Projected Openings

3090

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Self Control
• Independence
• Initiative
• Integrity

Tools

• Belt conveyors
• Cappuccino or espresso machines
• Carbonated beverage dispenser
• Commercial use blenders
• Commercial use broilers
• Commercial use coffee grinders
• Commercial use coffee or iced tea makers
• Commercial use cotton candy machines or accessories
• Commercial use cutlery
• Commercial use deep fryers
• Commercial use dishwashers
• Commercial use dough machines
• Commercial use food choppers or cubers or dicers
• Commercial use food grinders
• Commercial use food processors
• Commercial use food slicers
• Commercial use food warmers
• Commercial use griddles
• Commercial use grills
• Commercial use measuring cups
• Commercial use microwave ovens
• Commercial use mixers
• Commercial use ovens
• Commercial use pizza ovens
• Commercial use popcorn machines
• Commercial use ranges
• Commercial use rotisseries
• Commercial use scales
• Commercial use steamers
• Commercial use toasters
• Commercial use woks
• Ice dispensers
• Ice shaver machines or accessories
• Milkshake machines
• Non carbonated beverage dispenser
• Personal computers
• Point of sale POS terminal
• Roasting machinery
• Slush machines
• Soft serve machines

Technology

• Computer based training software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Office suite software
• Spreadsheet software
• Video creation and editing software