Food Service Worker: career path and pay in the US
Where a Food Service Worker goes next, what each step typically pays in the United States, and how exposed the path is to AI replacement. 4 steps, from Food Service Worker to Food Service Manager / Restaurant Manager.
Also for the United Kingdom: Food Service Worker in the UK
The path
Step 1 · 0 to 2 years
Food Service Worker
$30K to $40K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Food Safety Certification (required) - Global, ServSafe (optional) - US, Food Hygiene Certificate (required) - UK/EU.
Step 2 · 2 to 5 years
Senior Food Service Worker / Lead Worker
$35K to $55K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Food Safety Certification - Global, ServSafe - US, Food Hygiene Certificate - UK/EU.
Step 3 · 5 to 8 years
Food Service Supervisor / Kitchen Supervisor
$40K to $60K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Food Safety Certification - Global, ServSafe - US, Food Hygiene Certificate - UK/EU, Hospitality Management Certification (optional) - Global.
Step 4 · 8+ years
Food Service Manager / Restaurant Manager
$50K to $75K
Typical US pay for this job title, retrieved September 2026.
What this step adds
Credentials that help: Food Safety Certification - Global, ServSafe - US, Food Hygiene Certificate - UK/EU, Hospitality Management Certification - Global.
Exposure and pay along the path
Exposure to AI, now to later
52% → 24%
Falls 28 points. Each step is harder to automate than the last. Lower is better.
Typical pay, now to later
$30K to $40K → $50K to $75K
US estimates by job title, Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US. Indeed publishes a hourly average for Food Service Worker ($16.99); this band converts it at 40 hours a week. Indeed publishes a hourly average for Senior Food Service Worker ($21.17); this band converts it at 40 hours a week.
What the work involves
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Food Production
- Production and Processing
Education people bring
- Doctoral Degree: 4%
- Less than a High School Diploma: 3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate: 1%
Job Zone 2, job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Other paths from here
- Server
- Kitchen Manager
- Restaurant Manager
- Catering Manager
More Retail/Hospitality paths in the US
Related occupations in O*NET: Cooks, Restaurant, Cooks, Short Order, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, Butchers and Meat Cutters.
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SourcesSalary bands: Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale US, US national averages by job title, retrieved September 2026Skills, knowledge and education: O*NET 31.0 Database
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. CC BY 4.0
Salary estimates by job title from Glassdoor, Indeed and PayScale, retrieved September 2026. Each band runs from 20% below to 20% above the reported average, rounded to $5K. Exposure percentages and the skills listed under each step are this app's own editorial ratings, not published data.