Also called: Food Service Worker (Hospital), Diet Clerk
Prepares and delivers patient meal trays matched to each patient's medical diet.
Assembles trays on a fast-moving line, double-checks allergy and diet labels, and delivers meals to patients' rooms, often brightening their day.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; trained on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing about average. Steady.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Digital menu ordering is standard and some hospitals use delivery robots; tray prep and checking allergy labels stay mostly human.
Age 16+. One way to start: Apply to hospital and nursing-home kitchens; many hire 16-year-olds as dietary aides
Classes: Culinary arts CTE, Foods and nutrition.
Official data: O*NET occupation 35-2012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.