# Fast Food and Counter Workers

> Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 35-3023.00
- **Summary:** Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.

## Aliases

- Cafeteria Worker
- Counter Worker
- Food Service Worker
- Server
- Cafe Server
- Cafeteria Server
- Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker)
- Dietary Aide
- Food Server
- Snack Bar Attendant
- Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member)
- Bakery Associate

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary. | Core | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food. | Core | 4.A.3.a.1.o |
| Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees. | Supplemental | 4.A.4.b.3.d |
| Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper. | Core | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Balance receipts and payments in cash registers. | Core | 4.A.2.a.2.d |
| Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. | Core | 4.A.4.a.8.c |
| Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars. | Core | 4.A.3.a.1.o |
| Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory. | Core | 4.A.4.c.3.e |
| Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary. | Core | 4.A.3.a.1.c |
| Distribute food to servers. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.1.j |
| Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages. | Core | 4.A.3.a.2.c |

## Emerging Tasks

| Text |
| --- |
| Check and monitor food temperatures while cooking. |

## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Communicate with customers to resolve complaints or ensure satisfaction. | 4.A.4.a.8.c |
| Process customer bills or payments. | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment. | 4.A.3.a.1.c |
| Clean tableware. | 4.A.3.a.1.h |
| Balance receipts. | 4.A.2.a.2.d |
| Operate cash registers. | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Take customer orders. | 4.A.4.c.1.c |
| Serve food or beverages. | 4.A.3.a.1.o |
| Cook foods. | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Clean food service areas. | 4.A.3.a.1.c |
| Order materials, supplies, or equipment. | 4.A.4.c.3.e |
| Prepare hot or cold beverages. | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Collect dirty dishes or other tableware. | 4.A.3.a.1.o |
| Package food or supplies. | 4.A.3.a.2.ap |
| Communicate dining or order details to kitchen personnel. | 4.A.4.a.2.c |
| Arrange food for serving. | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies. | 4.A.3.a.2.ak |
| Train food preparation or food service personnel. | 4.A.4.b.3.d |
| Move equipment, supplies or food to required locations. | 4.A.3.a.1.j |
| Arrange tables or dining areas. | 4.A.3.a.1.o |
| Add garnishes to food. | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Deliver items. | 4.A.3.a.1.j |
| Prepare foods or meals. | 4.A.3.a.2.c |
| Manage preparation of special meals or diets. | 4.A.4.b.4.j |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customer and Personal Service | knowledge | 3.78 |
| English Language | knowledge | 3.53 |
| Food Production | knowledge | 3.37 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 3.04 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Coordination | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Service Orientation | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 3 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 3 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 3 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 3 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | ability | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | ability | 2.88 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 2.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | ability | 2.75 |
| Computers and Electronics | knowledge | 2.7 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 2.62 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 2.62 |
| Selective Attention | ability | 2.62 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | ability | 2.62 |
| Administration and Management | knowledge | 2.58 |
| Sales and Marketing | knowledge | 2.54 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 2.5 |
| Far Vision | ability | 2.5 |
| Production and Processing | knowledge | 2.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 2.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 2.38 |
| Time Management | transferable_skill | 2.38 |
| Auditory Attention | ability | 2.38 |
| Administrative | knowledge | 2.35 |
| Education and Training | knowledge | 2.33 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | knowledge | 2.27 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 2.25 |
| Memorization | ability | 2.25 |
| Finger Dexterity | ability | 2.25 |
| Foreign Language | knowledge | 2.21 |
| Economics and Accounting | knowledge | 2.15 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Windows | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Facebook | Specialized Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Biology | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Installation | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Selection | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Maintenance | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Facebook | Web page creation and editing software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Windows | Operating system software | yes | no |
| Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Compris software | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Foodman Home-Delivery | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Menu and nutrition database software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| NCR Advanced Checkout Solution | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| NCR NeighborhoodPOS | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Plexis Software Plexis POS | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| Quizlet | Computer based training software | no | no |
| RestaurantPlus PRO | Point of sale POS software | no | no |
| The General Store | Point of sale POS software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Contact With Others | 4.89 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.71 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 4.43 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 4.41 |
| Spend Time Standing | 4.39 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 4.39 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.36 |
| Physical Proximity | 4.36 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4.22 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 4.12 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 4.1 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.09 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 3.83 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 3.65 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.64 |
| Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body | 3.63 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 3.58 |
| Telephone Conversations | 3.49 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 3.42 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.41 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 3.34 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 3.29 |
| Conflict Situations | 3.23 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 3.02 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 2.97 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 2.92 |
| Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People | 2.66 |
| Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling | 2.61 |
| Level of Competition | 2.58 |
| Consequence of Error | 2.51 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 2.49 |
| Degree of Automation | 2.43 |
| Time Pressure | 2.4 |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment | 2.37 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 2.36 |
| Public Speaking | 2.35 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 2.22 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 2.12 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 2.1 |
| Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment | 2.06 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 2
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- **Experience:** Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- **Svp Range:** (Below 6.0)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 56.28 |
| High School Diploma | 23.96 |
| Some College Courses | 17.17 |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 2.55 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 0.05 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.96 |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 4.83 |
| Social | career_interest_type | 3.48 |
| Enterprising | career_interest_type | 3.45 |
| Physical/Manual Labor | specific_interest_area | 3.27 |
| Personal Service | specific_interest_area | 3.18 |
| Sales | specific_interest_area | 2.87 |
| Culinary Art | specific_interest_area | 2.23 |
| Dependability | work_style | 2.06 |
| Cooperation | work_style | 1.84 |
| Accounting | specific_interest_area | 1.82 |
| Social Orientation | work_style | 1.74 |
| Human Resources | specific_interest_area | 1.5 |
| Optimism | work_style | 1.46 |
| Artistic | career_interest_type | 1.45 |
| Management/Administration | specific_interest_area | 1.38 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 35-9011.00 | role-35-9011-00 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | Primary-Short |
| 35-2021.00 | role-35-2021-00 | Food Preparation Workers | Primary-Short |
| 35-3041.00 | role-35-3041-00 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | Primary-Short |
| 35-3023.01 | role-35-3023-01 | Baristas | Primary-Short |
| 35-3031.00 | role-35-3031-00 | Waiters and Waitresses | Primary-Short |
| 35-2014.00 | role-35-2014-00 | Cooks, Restaurant | Primary-Long |
| 35-2015.00 | role-35-2015-00 | Cooks, Short Order | Primary-Long |
| 35-9021.00 | role-35-9021-00 | Dishwashers | Primary-Long |
| 35-3011.00 | role-35-3011-00 | Bartenders | Primary-Long |
| 35-2011.00 | role-35-2011-00 | Cooks, Fast Food | Primary-Long |
| 35-1011.00 | role-35-1011-00 | Chefs and Head Cooks | Supplemental |
| 51-3011.00 | role-51-3011-00 | Bakers | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Hospitality, Events, & Tourism | hospitality-events-tourism |

## Education Level

- **Category:** No formal educational credential

## Study Programs


## Market

- **Median Wage:** 30480
- **Mean Wage:** 31350
- **Pct10Wage:** 22620
- **Pct25Wage:** 27150
- **Pct75Wage:** 35440
- **Pct90Wage:** 38800
- **Employment:** 3780930
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 72 | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | Sector | 3313790 | 30140 | 9.49 |
| 44-45 | 44-45 | Retail Trade | Sector | 212930 | 34340 | 0.56 |
| 722511 | 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | National industry | 120730 | 31200 | 0.92 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 107730 | 33400 | 0.32 |
| 71 | 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | Sector | 44670 | 31740 | 0.69 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 24930 | 33820 | 0.08 |
| 62 | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | Sector | 17550 | 35750 | 0.03 |
| 51 | 51 | Information | Sector | 15740 | 27480 | 0.22 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 9640 | 30640 | 0.04 |
| 713940 | 713940 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | National industry | 6620 | 29120 | 0.43 |
| 42 | 42 | Wholesale Trade | Sector | 4460 | 32140 | 0.03 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 3960 | 32670 | 0.06 |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 72 | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | Sector | 3313790 | 9.49 |
| 722511 | 722511 | Full-Service Restaurants | National industry | 120730 | 0.92 |
| 71 | 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | Sector | 44670 | 0.69 |
| 711110 | 711110 | Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters | National industry | 1020 | 0.57 |
| 44-45 | 44-45 | Retail Trade | Sector | 212930 | 0.56 |
| 721120 | 721120 | Casino Hotels | National industry | 3870 | 0.47 |
| 713940 | 713940 | Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | National industry | 6620 | 0.43 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 107730 | 0.32 |
- **Count:** 27

## Ai Signals


## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 36
- **Percentile:** 34
- **Band:** Moderate
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 15 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 56 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 2

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.10416666666666666 | 15 | Low | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.16378734453074872 | 56 | Moderate | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0.020833333333333332
- **Beta:** 0.0625
- **Gamma:** 0.10416666666666666

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. | 0.004108311525046321 | 4.31 |
| Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures. | 0.0039028959487940056 | 4.06 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 6.1
- **Growth Percentile:** 81
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 904.3
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 100
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 3796
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 4029.2

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 27
- **Skills:** 34
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 16
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 90343ed4d773970b