Food servers, nonrestaurant
SOC Code: 35-3041
Food servers, nonrestaurant carries a 38% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $34,460 and +3.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 277,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 38% AI exposure, Food servers, nonrestaurant sits 1 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 63% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
31/100
Food servers, nonrestaurant, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $34,460
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C- +3.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 38% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Food servers, nonrestaurant in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Food servers, nonrestaurant keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Food servers, nonrestaurant sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Food servers, nonrestaurant sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
38% Around the middle lower than 37% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Food servers, nonrestaurant vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Food servers, nonrestaurant is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Food servers, nonrestaurant's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 35-3041) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Food servers, nonrestaurant be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Food servers, nonrestaurant. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
- 2. Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities.
- 3. Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
- 4. Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items.
- 5. Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
- 6. Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.
- 7. Total checks, present them to customers, and accept payment for services.
- 8. Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
- 9. Remove trays and stack dishes for return to kitchen after meals are finished.
- 10. Carry food, silverware, or linen on trays or use carts to carry trays.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Time Management
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Food Production
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Food servers, nonrestaurant?
Food servers, nonrestaurant has an AI exposure score of 38%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Food servers, nonrestaurant?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Food servers, nonrestaurant is projected to grow by 3.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 277,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Food servers, nonrestaurant?
Key skills for Food servers, nonrestaurant include Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Food servers, nonrestaurant earn?
The median annual wage for Food servers, nonrestaurant is $34,460, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Food servers, nonrestaurant?
The typical entry-level education for Food servers, nonrestaurant is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Food servers, nonrestaurant?
Food servers, nonrestaurant roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Food servers, nonrestaurant: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (38% here).
- Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders · AI exposure 38%
- Coaches and scouts · AI exposure 38%
- Computer and information systems managers · AI exposure 38%
- Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers · AI exposure 38%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.0% here).
- Business operations specialists, all other · growth +3.0%
- Cardiovascular technologists and technicians · growth +3.0%
- Compliance officers · growth +3.0%
- Court, municipal, and license clerks · growth +3.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 11 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Food servers, nonrestaurant's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Food servers, nonrestaurant side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).