Food Preparation and Serving Related
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.
Also called: Cook, Cook Aide, Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk), Diet Aide, Dietary Aide, Food Prep (Food Preparer)
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $39,660
- $19.07/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 9,630
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- −2.2%
- 2,490 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- No formal educational credential
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34,760 | $36,570 | $39,660 | $45,430 | $48,450 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- 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.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure13 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 8
- Language-model AIOE 20
- GPTs-are-GPTs 12
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Food preparation work has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. Most tasks are physical: cleaning, carrying supplies, and removing trash. Recording food and storage temperatures is one task where digital tools may help, but people still do the hands-on work.
Likely to change
- Recording food storage temperatures
- Tracking supplies kitchen staff need
Still relies on people
- Cleaning and sanitizing work areas
- Carrying supplies and supporting cooks
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
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Your cleaning, sanitizing, and trash habits carry over directly. The job pays a Boston median of $46,550 and has very low AI exposure.
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- Pay difference
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- To get started
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Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
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