Career Explorer Food and hospitality
Grows with AI
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 69% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.4% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $44,080
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.4%
- Openings a year
- 172,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 1.2 million
- Usual route in
- High school diploma
Where people already use AI for this work
- Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- Determine resource needs of projects or operations
- Prepare foods or beverages
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures
- Perform human resources activities
- Train others on operational or work procedures
What the work looks like
- Compile and balance cash receipts at the end of the day or shift.
- Forecast staff, equipment, and supply requirements, based on a master menu.
- Assess nutritional needs of patients, plan special menus, supervise the assembly of regular and special diet trays, and oversee the delivery of food trolleys to hospital patients.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding food service.
- Record production, operational, and personnel data on specified forms.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- Fewer of these jobs, as facilities continue to outsource food preparation services.
- Fewer of these jobs, as schools continue to outsource food preparation services.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- BartendersHuman edge, growing, Index 81, +5.0%
- Skincare specialistsHuman edge, growing, Index 97, +8.8%
- Personal care and service workers, all otherHuman edge, growing, Index 77, +5.9%
- Entertainment attendants and related workers, all otherHuman edge, growing, Index 70, +4.0%
Also known as: Dietary Supervisor, Food Service Supervisor, Kitchen Manager, Restaurant Manager, Cafeteria Manager, Dining Services Director, Food and Beverage Director, Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.