Fast Food and Counter Workers
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
Also known as: Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Bakery Associate, Barista, Bistro Team Member, Cafe Server, Cafe Worker, Cafeteria Food Server, Cafeteria Lunchroom Counter Attendant, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
- Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
- Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
- Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.
- Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.
- Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
- Set up dining areas for meals, and clear them following meals.
- Deliver orders to kitchens, and pick up and serve food when it is ready.
- Wash dishes, glassware, and silverware after meals.
- Notify kitchen personnel of shortages or special orders.
- Select food items from serving or storage areas and place them in dishes, on serving trays, or in take-out bags.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.