Career Explorer Food and hospitality
Human edge, growing
Food preparation and serving related workers, all other
All food preparation and serving related workers not listed separately.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 78% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.5% by 2035, faster than average.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $35,840
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.5%
- Openings a year
- 11,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 85,100
- Usual route in
- No formal credential, then short on-the-job training
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as traditional movie theaters continue to expand their food and beverage offerings and the number of luxury or boutique movie theaters continues to increase.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpersHuman edge, growing, Index 96, +5.3%
- Fast food and counter workersHuman edge, growing, Index 79, +5.8%
- Stockers and order fillersHuman edge, growing, Index 88, +8.9%
- ShampooersHuman edge, growing, Index 79, +5.6%
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
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.