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.

The following related career videos are available from America's Career InfoNet:
Food Preparation Workers
Employment Outlook for Food Preparation Workers
Statewide Employment Analysis Employment in this occupation in 2010 was much larger than the statewide average for all occupations. This occupation is expected to grow at about the statewide average rate for all occupations through 2020. The total number of job openings is projected to be much higher than the statewide average number of job openings for all occupations through 2020.

Reasonable employment opportunities exist largely due to the need to fill replacement job openings.

Data Sources and Limitations
Current Employment Department Job Openings for Food Preparation Workers There are 54 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 26 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Deli Clerk 5/21/13 Bend $9.15/hr
Food Service Assistant 5/19/13 Beaverton
Food Services Assistant 5/19/13 Oregon City
Food Service Assistant 5/19/13 Oregon City
Food Services Assistant 5/19/13 Oregon City
Deli Clerk 5/17/13 Klamath Falls $8.95/hr
Cook 5/16/13 Lincoln City DOE
Bakery Production Labor Pool (Immediate Need) 5/14/13 Portland $15.06/hr
Deli Clerk 5/14/13 Astoria $9.05/hr
Dietary Aide 5/14/13 Hood River $8.95/hr DOE
AM & Pm Tray Assembler-80112 5/12/13 Hillsboro
Food Service Assistant 5/12/13 Portland
Food Prep 5/10/13 Jacksonville $8.95/hr
Service Deli Clerk 5/9/13 Tillamook DOE
Sandwich Artist/Shift Lead 5/9/13 Hermiston $8.95/hr to $9.15/hr
Meat Cutter 5/8/13 Newport $8.95/hr to $17.95/hr
Meat Wrapper 5/8/13 Newport $8.95/hr
Dietary Aide & Cook 5/7/13 Ashland Neg.
Seafood Manager 5/6/13 Klamath Falls DOE
Seafood Clerk 5/6/13 Klamath Falls DOE
Produce Clerk (Wilsonville) 5/6/13 Wilsonville N/A to N/A DOE
Line Cook 5/6/13 Lincoln City $9.00/hr
Dietary Aide 5/3/13 Eugene Neg.
Prep Cook 5/2/13 Seaside $9.50/hr to $10.00/hr DOE
Kitchen Assistant - Grants Pass (Age 55+) 5/1/13 Grants Pass $8.95/hr
More Jobs
Job Openings from the Web for Food Preparation Workers The following job openings have been automatically extracted from various sites across the Web. These links are provided as supplemental resources. However, the Employment Department cannot validate these openings nor endorse any of these external sites. Some of these jobs may no longer be open. In some cases, a single opening may be posted on multiple sites.

There are 37 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 26 are listed below.

Job Title Date Posted Location Employer
Seafood Processors 5/17/13 Portland Petersburg Fisheries / Icicle Seafoods
Nutrition Aide 5/17/13 Clackamas Kaiser Permanente
Food Service Assistant 5/16/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/16/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
Food Services Assistant 5/16/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Services Assistant 5/16/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/16/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/16/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
PART-TIME KITCHEN HELPER 5/15/13 Tualatin Emeritus Senior Living
Kitchen Helper 5/15/13 Monmouth Emeritus Senior Living
Food Service Assistant 5/14/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/13/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Services Assistant 5/13/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Services Assistant 5/13/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/13/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/10/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
Sandwich Artist/Shift Lead 5/10/13 Hermiston
Food Services Assistant 5/10/13 Oregon City Providence Health & Services
AM & PM Tray Assembler-80112 5/10/13 Hillsboro Tuality Healthcare
Food Service Assistant 5/9/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
Food Service Assistant 5/9/13 Portland Providence Health & Services
Seafood Clerk 5/7/13 Klamath Falls
Pantry Production 5/6/13 Portland Guckenheimer
Deli Clerk 5/2/13 Salem WinCo Foods Corporation
Food Service Assistant 5/2/13 Springfield Peace Health
More Jobs
State of Oregon License Information for Food Preparation Workers
License License Authority Web Site
Foodhandler Certification DHS-Public Health Division
Wages for Food Preparation Workers
Region ---------------- 2012 Wages ----------------
Percentiles (hourly wages) Avg
Hourly
($/hr)
Avg
Annual
10th 25th 50th
(median)
75th 90th
Note: This occupation has a large share of part-time workers.
Annual wages for occupations with a large share of part-time workers may overstate actual income.
Oregon Statewide $8.90 $9.12 $9.70 $11.51 $13.64 $10.56 $21,956
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 8.93 9.21 10.24 11.60 13.47 10.71 22,277
Multnomah / Washington 8.94 9.22 10.31 12.38 14.27 11.01 22,908
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 8.90 9.10 9.48 11.15 13.54 10.41 21,657
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 8.90 9.11 9.53 11.48 13.47 10.44 21,716
Lane 8.86 9.02 9.29 10.93 13.23 10.14 21,089
Douglas 8.88 9.05 9.35 10.54 11.57 9.89 20,581
Coos / Curry 8.86 9.01 9.28 11.31 13.71 10.35 21,518
Jackson / Josephine 8.91 9.13 9.78 11.05 12.17 10.22 21,257
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 8.84 8.96 9.16 9.42 10.89 9.46 19,675
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 8.94 9.23 10.28 11.85 13.97 10.83 22,534
Klamath / Lake 8.86 9.00 9.25 9.70 11.48 9.71 20,206
Morrow / Umatilla 8.87 9.03 9.31 12.63 13.93 10.57 21,990
Baker / Union / Wallowa 8.97 9.28 10.02 11.19 12.52 10.38 21,580
Grant / Harney / Malheur 8.87 9.03 9.31 10.35 11.38 9.76 20,295
Clackamas 8.92 9.18 10.16 11.43 12.96 10.52 21,887
Data Sources and Limitations
Regional Employment Projections for Food Preparation Workers
Region Employment Change % Change Projected Annual Openings
2010 2020 Growth Replacement Total
Oregon Statewide 10,084 12,063 1,979 19.6% 198 399 597
Multnomah / Washington 3,533 4,315 782 22.1% 78 141 220
Marion / Polk / Yamhill 1,051 1,272 221 21.0% 22 42 64
Lane 1,028 1,202 174 16.9% 17 40 58
Clackamas 952 1,162 210 22.1% 21 38 59
Benton / Lincoln / Linn 752 881 129 17.2% 13 29 42
Jackson / Josephine 713 820 107 15.0% 11 28 38
Crook / Deschutes / Jefferson 515 616 101 19.6% 10 20 31
Clatsop / Columbia / Tillamook 387 453 66 17.1% 7 15 22
Klamath / Lake 254 291 37 14.6% 4 10 14
Gilliam / Hood River / Sherman / Wheeler / Wasco 248 291 43 17.3% 4 10 14
Douglas 196 229 33 16.8% 3 8 11
Coos / Curry 187 214 27 14.4% 3 7 10
Morrow / Umatilla 167 199 32 19.2% 3 7 10
Baker / Union / Wallowa 131 147 16 12.2% 2 5 7
Grant / Harney / Malheur 125 140 15 12.0% 2 5 6

These estimates do not include self-employment. 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 Infogroup employers
Ownership 2010
Employment
Manufacturing Private 95
Retail Trade Private 3,226
Food and Beverage Stores Private 2,714
Grocery Stores Private 2,474
Specialty Food Stores Private 240
General Merchandise Stores Private 445
Other General Merchandise Stores Private 445
Health Care and Social Assistance Private 1,218
Hospitals Private 267
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals Private 261
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities Private 800
Nursing Care Facilities Private 251
Community Care Facilities for the Elderly Private 540
Social Assistance Private 149
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Private 82
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries Private 78
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries Private 78
Accommodation and Food Services Private 3,970
Accommodation Private 216
Traveler Accommodation Private 165
Food Services and Drinking Places Private 3,754
Full-Service Restaurants Private 2,188
Limited-Service Eating Places Private 1,233
Special Food Services Private 307
Other Services (except Public Administration) Private 146
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations Private 146
Religious Organizations Private 111
Educational Services State 105
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools State 105
Educational Services Local 993
Elementary and Secondary Schools Local 898
Educational Requirements for Food Preparation Workers There are typically no educational requirements for this occupation. Those with a high school diploma or equivalent have a competitive advantage in the labor market. In addition, short-term on-the-job training is typically needed, once employed, to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.
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
  • 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 programs related to this occupation. This information is updated once per year. Anyone interested in a particular program should check with the training institution regarding its availability. Listing these training providers does not necessarily constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State of Oregon.

Lane Community College
4000 E 30th Ave
Eugene, OR 97405-0640
Phone: (541) 463-3000
Programs of Training:
Tillamook Bay Community College
4301 Third St.
Tillamook, OR 97141
Phone: (503) 842-8222
Programs of Training:
Mt Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St
Gresham, OR 97030
Phone: (503) 491-6422
Programs of Training:
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 97219-7132
Phone: (503) 244-6111
Programs of Training:
Career Pathway Roadmaps for Food Preparation Workers These Oregon community colleges have defined career pathway roadmaps to facilitate entry into this occupation:

Central Oregon Community College
Linn-Benton Community College
Tillamook Bay Community College
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 67%
Cooks, Short Order 61%
Cooks, Restaurant 47%
Combined Food Preparation And Serving Workers, Including Fast Food 43%
Cooks, All Other 41%
Cooks, Institution And Cafeteria 41%
Food Cooking Machine Operators And Tenders 36%
Food Mixing And Blending Machine Operators And Tenders 33%
Food Roasting, Baking, And Drying Machine Operators And Tenders 32%
Bakers 31%