How to become a food preparation worker
Official title: Food preparation worker
Also called: Cafe worker, Deli assistant, Kitchen hand, Hospitality worker, Sandwich maker, Catering assistant, Kitchen assistant
Food preparation workers prepare food and beverages at restaurants, cafes and other hospitality places. They may make sandwiches and salads, and do baking and cooking.
Main tasks
- Wash, peel and cut fruit and vegetables
- Help chefs with tasks
- Cook basic food
- Arrange food for serving
- Clean and sanitise food preparation areas
- Follow food safety standards and regulations
- Restock food and supplies in kitchens
- Remove rubbish from food preparation areas
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become a food preparation worker and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don't need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Catering Services (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service (Level 4).
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in food and beverage service. TEC links this job to study in food tourism and hospitality. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Food and Beverage Service. Usually 5 to 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $37,000 a year one year after study and $49,000 five years after; 32% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Median pay: $54,000 a year, a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $84,000 a year
- TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $25.96 an hour.
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 14,000 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
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Questions people ask
How do I become a food preparation worker?
You usually learn on the job to become a food preparation worker and experience and a qualification may be useful. You usually don't need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Catering Services (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service (Level 4).
How much does a food preparation worker earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $54,000 a year, before tax.
Has the number of people working as a food preparation worker grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026