Cooks, Fast Food vs Food Preparation Workers AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Cooks, Fast Food

41 shared · 7 different

core competencies

medium risk

Food Preparation Workers

Side-by-Side Comparison

Food Preparation Workers leads 5–0

Metric	Cooks, Fast Food	Food Preparation Workers
Risk Score	46.3%	36.7%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	93th	71th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	12 / 15	7 / 15
Median Salary	$30,160	$34,220
Employment	668K	889K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Customer and Personal Service

Administration and Management

Thinking Creatively

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization

Performing General Physical Activities

Handling and Moving Objects

Finger Dexterity

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Cooks, Fast Food

23%

total discount

Food Preparation Workers

26%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Cooks, Fast Food

12 of 15 at risk

88%Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.

76%Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.

75%Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.

61%Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.

59%Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.

Food Preparation Workers

7 of 15 at risk

88%Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.

87%Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.

64%Keep records of the quantities of food used.

59%Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.

57%Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.

Wage Comparison

Food Preparation Workers earns +$4,060(+13%) vs Cooks, Fast Food

Cooks, Fast FoodFood Preparation Workers

10th

$22,370$23,490

25th

$26,540$28,740

Median

$30,160$34,220

75th

$35,710$37,540

90th

$38,980$44,260

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Cooks, Fast Food2028–2035

Food Preparation Workers2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Food Preparation Workers has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Cooks, Fast Food.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Cooks, Fast Food

$16,211

from $30,160

Food Preparation Workers

$21,654

from $34,220

After adjusting for AI risk, Food Preparation Workers offers $5,443 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Cooks,

Unique to Food

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Regulatory Barriers

Cooks, Fast FoodFood Preparation Workers

Find transitions from Cooks, Fast Food Find transitions from Food Preparation Workers