AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 35-3041.00
Will AI replace Food Servers, Nonrestaurant?
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 14 tasks; the work is mostly hands-on, so no AI model tier applies.
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Every task, scored
The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Total checks, present them to customers, and accept payment for services. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor food preparation or serving techniques to ensure that proper procedures are followed. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove trays and stack dishes for return to kitchen after meals are finished. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record amounts and types of special food items served to customers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stock service stations with items, such as ice, napkins, or straws. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Determine where patients or patrons would like to eat their meals and help them get situated. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Prepare food items, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, or beverages. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Carry food, silverware, or linen on trays or use carts to carry trays. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
Most of this role's task work is hands-on, so no model tier applies.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 293,900
- Median annual wage
- $35,360
- Middle half of earners
- $31,190 to $38,500
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.0%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Waiters and Waitresses 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure20
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers 68% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure16
- Fast Food and Counter Workers 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure17
- Food Preparation Workers 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure16
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure32
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Food Servers, Nonrestaurant and AI
Will AI replace Food Servers, Nonrestaurant?
Not on current evidence. None of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 14 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Food Servers, Nonrestaurant?
14 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Food Servers, Nonrestaurant tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions, at 15 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
No AI model tier applies, because the role's tasks are hands-on work that no model tier covers under JobRoute's published rubric.
How many people work as Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, and what do they earn?
293,900 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $35,360 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.0% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Food Servers, Nonrestaurant. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/food-servers-nonrestaurant
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