Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

65201.01 – Food counter attendants and food preparers

Food counter attendants and food preparers prepare, heat and finish cooking simple food items and serve customers at food counters.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Cafeteria worker
  • Dietary aide
  • Food counter attendant
  • Food preparer
  • Hospital meal attendant

Core competencies

  • Quality Control Testing to ensure food is cooked to the correct temperature, remains fresh and meets safety standards
  • Numeracy to measure out set amounts of food and calculate change when cashing customers out
  • Dynamic Strength to safely and effectively lift, carry and move food items and equipment when preparing large quantities of food or handling heavy containers
  • Stamina to stand, move around and perform repetitive tasks without becoming fatigued
  • Concern for Others to ensure customer satisfaction and resolve complaints
  • Knowledge in Client Service to respond to customer needs and improve satisfaction, address customer questions and ensure service is prompt and courteous

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Take customers' orders
  • Clean, peel, slice and trim foodstuffs using manual and electric appliances
  • Use deep fryer, grill, oven, dispensers and other equipment to prepare fast food items such as sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, salads, ice cream dishes, milkshakes and other beverages
  • Portion, assemble, and wrap food or place it directly on plates for service to patrons, and package take-out food
  • Use equipment to prepare hot beverages such as coffee and tea specialties
  • Serve customers at counters or buffet tables
  • Stock refrigerators and salad bars and keep records of the quantities of food used
  • May receive payment for food items purchased.

Additional information

  • Movement into other occupations within food preparation and service, such as cook or waiter, is possible with further training and experience.
  • There is considerable mobility among jobs in this unit group.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

6 – Sales and service occupations

TEER

5 – Occupations usually require short-term work demonstration and no formal education

Major group

65 – Sales and service support occupations

Sub-major group

652 – Support occupations in food, accommodation and tourism

Minor group

6520 – Food support occupations

Unit group

65201 – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations

Occupational profile

65201.01 – Food counter attendants and food preparers

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.