The U.S. Department of Labor has developed an automated occupational information database, O*NET, that identifies and describes work content, work skills, and training requirements for all jobs across the country in all sectors of the economy. Much of the occupational information contained in this report is derived directly from the O*NET database, and supplemented with information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Labor Market and Career Information.
| Industry | % of Food Preparation Workers employed | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and other eating places | 54.3 | -0.46 |
| Special food services | 5.4 | 0.08 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 2.6 | -3.25 |
| 2024 Statewide average hourly wage | $14.49 |
| 2024 National average hourly wage | $16.32 |
| 2022 National employment | 931,800 |
| 2022 Texas employment | 134,054 |
| Texas projected employment by 2032 | 148,931 |
| Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 | 26,622 |
| Region | Employment | Projected Employment 2032 | Projected Annual Openings 2032 |
Annual Growth Rate |
Average Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (all regions) | 134,054 | 148,931 | 26,622 | 1.06% | $30,136.00 |
| Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
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| Food Production Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. |
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| Production and Processing Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
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| English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
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| Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
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| Psychology Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. |
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| Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
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| Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
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| Administrative Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology. |
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| Personnel and Human Resources Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems. |
| Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
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| Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people. |
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| Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
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| Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
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| Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
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| Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
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| Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
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| Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
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| Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
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| Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Top 10 Relevant Abilities | Relevant Importance Levels |
|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
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| Trunk Strength The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing. |
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| Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
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| Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
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| Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
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| Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
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| Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
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| Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
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| Finger Dexterity The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. |
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| Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |