Cooks, Fast Food vs Food Servers, Nonrestaurant AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Cooks, Fast Food

34 shared · 8 different

core competencies

medium risk

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant

Side-by-Side Comparison

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant leads 5–0

Metric	Cooks, Fast Food	Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
Risk Score	46.3%	44.0%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Medium Risk
Risk Percentile	93th	90th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	12 / 15	7 / 14
Median Salary	$30,160	$34,460
Employment	668K	272K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization

Training and Teaching Others

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Developing and Building Teams

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Cooks, Fast Food

23%

total discount

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant

23%

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 Servers, Nonrestaurant

7 of 14 at risk

88%Total checks, present them to customers, and accept payment for services.

87%Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.

87%Record amounts and types of special food items served to customers.

77%Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.

77%Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed.

Wage Comparison

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant earns +$4,300(+14%) vs Cooks, Fast Food

Cooks, Fast FoodFood Servers, Nonrestaurant

10th

$22,370$26,590

25th

$26,540$29,800

Median

$30,160$34,460

75th

$35,710$37,550

90th

$38,980$44,770

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Cooks, Fast Food2028–2035

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant 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 Servers, Nonrestaurant

$19,294

from $34,460

After adjusting for AI risk, Food Servers, Nonrestaurant offers $3,083 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

Regulatory Barriers

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Fine Manipulation

Cooks, Fast FoodFood Servers, Nonrestaurant

Find transitions from Cooks, Fast Food Find transitions from Food Servers, Nonrestaurant