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Food service worker

Also called catering worker, kitchen assistant, food services worker

Food service workers prepare food and serve customers. They prepare simple dishes to be used in places that serve food, such as restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, hospitals and ensure that kitchen operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects31 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Sales workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €800 (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Sales workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Sales workersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Food service counter attendants · ILO

What you'd do

Food service counter attendants · ILO
  • Serving food to customers at counters
  • Ascertaining the products desired by the customer, assisting them in making choices and taking orders
  • Cleaning, peeling, slicing and trimming foodstuffs using manual and electric appliances
  • Preparing simple food items and reheating prepared meals
  • Portioning and wrapping food or placing it directly on plates for service to patrons
  • Packaging takeaway food
  • Stocking refrigerators, salad, buffet bars and keeping records of the quantities of food used
  • Receiving payment for food items purchased
Follow procedures to control substances hazardous to healthClean kitchen equipmentMaintain food specificationsComply with food safety and hygieneStore raw food materials+ 2 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually under 40 hours a week
  • Few deadlines
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Fast Food and Counter Workers"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as sales workers in the EU
15.79m15.71m16.15m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
173,000 new jobs 4,772,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Sales workers31
All jobs29
Right now
7 of 27 countries report a shortage of food service counter attendants, 7 a surplus.
Food service counter attendants · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €800 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,500 (Ireland), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in food processing is the usual route.

Highest qualification of sales workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 16%Vocational 42%General secondary 19%Basic schooling 22%
Fields that teach it
Food processing · Medicine
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.24 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 8 tasks
Ascertaining the products desired by the customer, assisting them in making choices and taking orders0.46
Receiving payment for food items purchased0.41
Serving food to customers at counters0.29
Packaging takeaway food0.17
Stocking refrigerators, salad, buffet bars and keeping records of the quantities of food used0.17
Portioning and wrapping food or placing it directly on plates for service to patrons0.14
Preparing simple food items and reheating prepared meals0.14
Cleaning, peeling, slicing and trimming foodstuffs using manual and electric appliances0.14

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for food service counter attendants. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).