Oregon Labor Market Information System
Occupational Information Center
Occupational Report for Food Preparation Workers (35-2021) , Oregon Statewide
Occupational Description

Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

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Food Preparation Workers
Employment Outlook for Food Preparation Workers
Statewide Employment Analysis 2006 employment is estimated to be much larger than the statewide average. This occupation is expected to grow somewhat faster than the statewide average. Total job openings are projected to be much higher than the statewide average.

Reasonable employment opportunities exist largely due to the significant number of job openings projected for this occupation.

Data Sources and Limitations
Current Job Openings for Food Preparation Workers There are 18 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 18 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Deli Counter Clerk 2/8/10 Florence $8.50/hr to $11.20/hr DOE
Coffee Kiosk Barista 2/2/10 Florence $8.50/hr to $11.50/hr DOE
Dietary Aide 2/2/10 Redmond $9.00/hr DOE
Kitchen Help 2/1/10 Hillsboro $9.00/hr
Prep Cook 2/1/10 Winchester Bay $8.40/hr
Dietary Aide #61329 2/1/10 Mount Angel $9.43/hr to $14.16/hr DOE
Dietary Aide/Server 1/30/10 Corvallis DOE
Prep / Backup Chef 1/28/10 Portland $10.00/hr
Line Cook 1/26/10 Baker City $8.40/hr
On Call Relief Personnel 1/26/10 Medford $8.50/hr
Fs-9004 Food Service Assistant 1/21/10 Corvallis $8.99/hr to $9.92/hr DOE
Assistant Manager 1/15/10 Umatilla $10.50/hr
Assistant Manager 1/15/10 Hermiston $10.50/hr
Assistant Store Manager - Eugene, Or 1/14/10 Eugene
Food Preparation Assistant 1/6/10 Prairie City $8.40/hr
Dietary Aide #59874 12/24/09 Mount Angel $9.43/hr to $13.86/hr DOE
On-Call Prep Cook - #77 12/22/09 Portland $8.40/hr to $11.09/hr DOE
Dietary Aide #58242 11/17/09 Mount Angel $9.43/hr to $13.86/hr DOE
State of Oregon License Information for Food Preparation Workers
License License Authority Web Site
Foodhandler Certification www.oregon.gov/DHS/aboutdhs/structure/phd.shtml
Wages for Food Preparation Workers
Region ---------------- 2009 Wages ----------------
Percentiles (hourly wages) Avg
Hourly
($/hr)
Avg
Annual
10th 25th 50th
(median)
75th 90th
Oregon Statewide $8.72 $9.16 $9.91 $11.68 $13.91 $10.63 $22,110
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 8.74 9.15 9.85 11.40 12.60 10.29 21,423
Multnomah / Washington 8.80 9.38 10.37 12.21 14.77 11.07 23,017
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 8.76 9.21 9.96 11.87 14.32 10.76 22,396
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 8.63 8.96 9.50 10.22 11.93 9.83 20,454
Lane 8.65 8.97 9.51 10.32 12.12 9.94 20,675
Douglas 8.75 9.18 9.88 11.06 12.06 10.12 21,051
Coos / Curry 8.65 8.99 9.56 10.69 12.21 9.95 20,695
Jackson / Josephine 8.73 9.12 9.77 11.11 12.85 10.47 21,768
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 8.60 9.05 9.82 11.27 12.60 10.28 21,386
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 8.74 9.16 9.90 11.97 14.08 10.65 22,163
Klamath / Lake 8.69 9.03 9.58 10.32 12.19 9.94 20,663
Morrow / Umatilla 8.68 9.01 9.55 10.90 13.34 10.21 21,239
Baker / Union / Wallowa 8.68 9.01 9.54 10.24 11.71 9.76 20,313
Grant / Harney / Malheur 8.70 9.05 9.63 11.19 12.47 10.13 21,080
Clackamas 8.77 9.37 10.59 13.06 15.34 11.38 23,668
Data Sources and Limitations
Regional Employment Projections for Food Preparation Workers
Region Employment Change % Change Projected Annual Openings
2006 2016 Growth Replacement Total
Oregon Statewide 10,174 12,042 1,868 18.4% 187 393 580
Multnomah / Washington 3,729 4,439 710 19.0% 71 145 216
Clackamas 973 1,139 166 17.1% 17 37 54
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 954 1,118 164 17.2% 16 37 53
Lane 850 994 144 16.9% 14 33 47
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 769 852 83 10.8% 8 29 37
Jackson / Josephine 731 871 140 19.2% 14 28 42
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 554 703 149 26.9% 15 22 37
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 446 527 81 18.2% 8 17 25
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 249 309 60 24.1% 6 10 16
Klamath / Lake 237 280 43 18.1% 4 9 13
Douglas 222 257 35 15.8% 4 9 12
Coos / Curry 166 196 30 18.1% 3 6 9
Morrow / Umatilla 162 189 27 16.7% 3 6 9
Baker / Union / Wallowa 144 167 23 16.0% 2 6 8
Grant / Harney / Malheur 132 137 5 3.8% 1 5 5

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Industries of Employment for Food Preparation Workers
Industry
Click links to view infoUSA employers
Ownership 2006
Employment
Total, All Industries All 10,174
Total, All Industries Private 8,857
Retail Trade Private 3,491
Food and Beverage Stores Private 2,661
Grocery Stores Private 2,394
Specialty Food Stores Private 267
Gasoline Stations Private 79
General Merchandise Stores Private 720
Other General Merchandise Stores Private 720
Health Care and Social Assistance Private 1,046
Hospitals Private 213
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities Private 680
Nursing Care Facilities Private 199
Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Private 459
Social Assistance Private 153
Child Day Care Services Private 92
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Private 130
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries Private 128
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries Private 122
Accommodation and Food Services Private 3,878
Accommodation Private 264
Traveler Accommodation Private 188
Food Services and Drinking Places Private 3,614
Full-Service Restaurants Private 2,022
Limited-Service Eating Places Private 1,017
Special Food Services Private 528
Other Services (except Public Administration) Private 120
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations Private 120
Religious Organizations Private 86
Total, All Industries State 90
Educational Services State 90
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools State 90
Total, All Industries Local 1,120
Educational Services Local 1,018
Elementary and Secondary Schools Local 1,006
Total, All Industries Tribal 107
Accommodation and Food Services Tribal 86
Educational Requirements for Food Preparation Workers Workers must have short-term on-the-job training to gain the necessary skills for this occupation. However, those with related work experience have a competitive advantage in this labor market.
Skills for Food Preparation Workers
  • Apply Food Handling Rules
  • Apply Health And Sanitation Standards
  • Apply Product Knowledge To Marketing Of Goods
  • Apply Quality Assurance Techniques
  • Clean, Peel And Slice Fruits And Vegetables
  • Cook In Quantity
  • Cut Meat
  • Follow Recipes
  • Follow Safety Procedures
  • Interpret And Apply Health Regulations In Lodging And Food Service
  • Maintain Consistent Quality
  • Measure Or Weigh Ingredients
  • Operate Baking Equipment
  • Operate Cooking Equipment
  • Operate Food Preparation Equipment
  • Prepare Meals
  • Set Up And Operate Carbonated Beverage Machines
  • Set Up And Operate Espresso Machines
  • Use Basic Mathematics
  • Weigh And Package Products
  • Work As A Team Member
Schools and Training Providers for Food Preparation Workers The training providers listed below offer one or more of the following programs:

Central Oregon Community College
2600 NW College Way
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: (541) 383-7500
Programs of Training:
Portland Community College
12000 SW 49th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 244-6111
Programs of Training:
Career Pathway Roadmaps for Food Preparation Workers No Career Pathway links were found for this occupation.
Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Food Preparation Workers matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.
Occupation Skill Overlap
Cooks, Fast Food 64%
Cooks, Short Order 62%
Cooks, Restaurant 45%
Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food 42%
Cooks, All Other 40%
Cooks, Institution And Cafeteria 39%
Food Cooking Machine Operators And Tenders 35%
Food Mixing And Blending Machine Operators And Tenders 32%
Food Roasting, Baking, And Drying Machine Operators And Tenders 31%
Bakers 30%