Will food preparation workers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Food preparation workers score 17 of 100 for AI exposure. 85% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 2% today and speed up another 13%.
- 2% AI can do it
- 13% AI helps
- 85% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 85% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 31 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 26 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Keep records of the quantities of food used. Logging food quantities is routine data entry software handles well. | 70% AI can do it |
| Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items. Reorders can be automated; spotting broken equipment needs people. | 55% AI helps |
| Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers. Thermometer readings are physical; logging can be digitized. | 35% AI helps |
| Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change. POS systems automate most steps; handling cash stays manual. | 30% AI helps |
| Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures. Hands-on prep; AI can help with recipes and order sequencing. | 18% AI helps |
| Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets. Physical tray assembly; diet matching software helps only slightly. | 18% Needs a person |
| Weigh or measure ingredients. Scale work is physical, recipe math is easy. | 15% Needs a person |
| Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches. Sauce recipes are simple, but making them is hands-on. | 15% Needs a person |
| Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items. Hands-on help and item fetching for kitchen staff. | 12% Needs a person |
| Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving. Knife work and peeling are hands-on physical tasks. | 12% Needs a person |
Show the other 21 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods. Operating appliances on food is physical and hands-on. | 12% Needs a person |
| Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads. Mixing salad ingredients is physical, recipes are simple. | 12% Needs a person |
| Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage. Physical storage, though labeling and tracking could be digital. | 10% Needs a person |
| Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons. Physical portioning and plating for patrons. | 10% Needs a person |
| Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Brewing and serving drinks involves machines and in-person service. | 10% Needs a person |
| Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas. Physical receiving; inventory entries can be digital. | 10% Needs a person |
| Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients. Patient delivery and contact are in person. | 10% Needs a person |
| Package take-out foods or serve food to customers. Physical packaging and counter service for customers. | 10% Needs a person |
| Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware. Physical scrubbing and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces. | 8% Needs a person |
| Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals. Physical stocking and buffet upkeep in public areas. | 8% Needs a person |
| Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments. Physical tray assembly on lines with hand placement. | 8% Needs a person |
| Stir and strain soups and sauces. Stirring and straining at the stove needs hands-on monitoring. | 8% Needs a person |
| Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers. Physical food handoff to waitstaff. | 8% Needs a person |
| Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking. Knife cutting and grinding of meat is hands-on. | 6% Needs a person |
| Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas. Physical carrying of heavy supplies and equipment. | 5% Needs a person |
| Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines. Physical loading of dishwashing machines. | 5% Needs a person |
| Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets. Physical tray moving to warmers and cabinets. | 5% Needs a person |
| Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers. Physical trash removal and container cleaning. | 4% Needs a person |
| Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers. Physical scraping of plates into bins. | 4% Needs a person |
| Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor. Physical floor sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. | 3% Needs a person |
| Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving. Butchering and cleaning animals is skilled physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
How food preparation workers compare
All occupations (923)
Food preparation and serving (16)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $35,320 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 893,600 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -3.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish
- Run recipe costing and portioning in ChefTec
- Log food and storage temperatures in CBORD Foodservice Suite
- Hold a ServSafe Food Handler certification
- Track supply levels and reorder stock in Microsoft Excel
Safer roles nearby
3 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about food preparation workers and AI
Will AI replace food preparation workers?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly logging food quantities and reordering supplies when stock runs low. Butchering, slicing meat, cleaning fish, and moving heavy crates stay with people, since they need hands and judgment on a live kitchen floor.
Which tasks will AI take over for food preparation workers?
Logging food quantities has the highest exposure at 70, because it is routine data entry that software handles well. Reordering low supplies scores 55 and can be automated, though spotting broken equipment still needs a person. Recording food and storage temperatures scores 35, since the logs can move into digital systems while the thermometer reading stays physical.
Which tasks stay with food preparation workers?
Butchering and cleaning fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish scores 3 on exposure, because it is skilled physical work on raw animal products. Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming also score 3. Removing trash and loading dishwashers score 4 and 5, since they need a person moving real objects around a busy kitchen.
How can food preparation workers stay valuable?
Learn the costing tools your kitchen already uses, such as ChefTec or CBORD NetRecipe, so you can check recipes and portion counts. Take on the temperature checks and supply counts in Microsoft Excel or CBORD Foodservice Suite, and flag broken equipment early. Build strong butchering and knife skills, since those tasks stay human.
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