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Food Preparation Workers vs Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop: what changes?

Consider Food Preparation Workers if you want to perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea. Consider Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop if you would rather welcome patrons, seat them at tables or in lounge, and help ensure quality of facilities and service. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Food Preparation Workers and Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Food Preparation Workers

National median pay (2025)
$35,320
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
135,700
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Food Preparation Workers brief

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

National median pay (2025)
$31,200
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Provide guests with menus.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
107,100
Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop has the edge on projected growth

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop is at 3.4% projected growth, compared with -3% projected growth for Food Preparation Workers.

2

Food Preparation Workers has the edge on median pay

Food Preparation Workers is at $35,320, compared with $31,200 for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.

3

Food Preparation Workers has the edge on annual openings

Food Preparation Workers is at 135,700 annual openings, compared with 107,100 annual openings for Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop.

46.3/ 100

Food Preparation Workers

vs
54.4/ 100

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Food Preparation Workers vs Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop

DimensionFood Preparation WorkersHosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
Median pay (2025)$35,320$31,200
Pay percentile2.8 percentile0.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-3%3.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)135,700107,100
2025 employment908,500444,200
How you qualifyNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingOne month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Food Preparation Workers briefRead Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop brief

Try another comparison

Food Preparation Workers vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Food Preparation Workers
$35,320 · -3% growth
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
$37,450 · 2.8% growth
Compare careers →

Food Preparation Workers vs Dishwashers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Food Preparation Workers
$35,320 · -3% growth
Dishwashers
$34,810 · -1% growth
Compare careers →

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop vs Fast Food and Counter Workers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
$31,200 · 3.4% growth
Fast Food and Counter Workers
$31,200 · 5.8% growth
Compare careers →

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop vs Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
$31,200 · 3.4% growth
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
$33,980 · 5.3% growth
Compare careers →
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