Food preparation workers clean and sanitize work areas and equipment, weigh and measure ingredients, prepare fruit and vegetables, cut meat, poultry and seafood, mix salads, store food to prevent spoilage, check food temperatures and set out trays for service. It is hands-on kitchen work.
The short answer: very low exposure to AI, but a small decline projected for other reasons. The ILO's 2025 index rates the closest groups as not exposed, 0.18 for fast food preparers and 0.13 for kitchen helpers. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 3 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 135,700 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed food preparation workers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food Preparers | Not exposed | 0.18 |
| Kitchen Helpers | Not exposed | 0.13 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so these are the closest groups for food preparation workers, not a score for the job title itself.
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Food preparation workers | Decline 3% | About 135,700 |
The BLS says restaurants and cafeterias may order prewashed, precut or preseasoned ingredients from wholesalers and distributors to lower costs, which is expected to reduce the need for food preparation workers. It adds that some establishments prefer fast food and counter workers, who both prepare and serve food, which may also reduce the need. Despite the decline, it projects many openings, mostly to replace workers who leave.
What is changing the work
- Ingredients arriving prewashed, precut or preseasoned from suppliers, as the BLS describes.
- Combined roles where one worker both prepares and serves food.
- Not generative AI: the ILO rates these tasks as not exposed.
What stays with food preparation workers
- Prep work: cutting, measuring and mixing by hand.
- Food safety: cleaning, safe storage and temperature checks.
- Kitchen teamwork: keeping cooks supplied during service.
- Checking AI help: generated recipes or food safety advice can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
The BLS ties the decline to how kitchens buy ingredients and organize staff, not to AI. The BLS still projects about 135,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who leave. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace chefs?, will AI replace fast food workers? and will AI replace food processing workers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for food preparation workers at $35,320 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: no formal educational credential. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace food preparation workers?
AI is not the main factor. The BLS projects a 3 percent decline from 2025 to 2035, tied to precut ingredients and combined roles, with about 135,700 openings a year.
How exposed are food preparation workers to AI?
The closest ILO groups are not exposed, scoring 0.18 for fast food preparers and 0.13 for kitchen helpers.
Why is employment expected to decline?
The BLS says kitchens may order prewashed, precut or preseasoned ingredients, and some prefer workers who both prepare and serve food.
What do food preparation workers do?
They clean work areas, measure ingredients, prepare produce and meat, mix salads, store food safely and check temperatures.