Kitchen Porter
Snapshot
Kitchen porters wash and clean kitchen areas, including pots, pans, utensils, cutlery and dishes. They prepare the kitchen area before service, and receive and store supplies.
As a kitchen porter, you’re the backbone of a smooth-running kitchen. Your work ensures a hygienic and efficient workspace for chefs and other kitchen staff. You’ll be responsible for cleaning and maintaining all areas of the kitchen, from washing dishes and utensils to preparing the space for service and managing stock deliveries. This role requires attention to detail, physical stamina, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- • Washing and sanitizing dishes, pots, pans, cutlery, and other kitchen equipment.
- • Maintaining cleanliness and organization of kitchen areas, including floors, surfaces, and storage spaces.
- • Preparing the kitchen for service by setting up workstations and ensuring adequate supplies.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Food preparation assistants — 4 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany and 8 more.
Longest-running shortage: Cyprus, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $34,810 2025-05 | +0.2% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +56.7% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £11,840 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for kitchen porter
The outlook for kitchen porter reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could kitchen porter change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- comply with food safety and hygiene
- maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment
- work in a hospitality team
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- ensure cleanliness of food preparation area
- follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health
- handle glassware
Tasks most exposed to automation
- report on possible equipment hazards
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Hospitality, Events, & Tourism
A typical day as a kitchen porter
09 09:00 · Morning ensure cleanliness of food preparation area
10 10:30 · Mid-morning follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health
12 12:00 · Midday handover the food preparation area
14 14:00 · Afternoon work in a hospitality team
15 15:30 · Late afternoon carry out stock rotation
17 17:00 · Wrap-up clean kitchen equipment
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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handle glassware
Utilise glassware by polishing, cleaning and storing it properly.
-
clean kitchen equipment
Disinfect kitchen equipment, utensils and other facilities such as trolleys and hot cupboards.
-
operate dishwashing machine
Handle dishwashing machines with used plates, glass, service utensils and cutlery.
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follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health
Adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) procedures for activities that involve hazardous substances, such as bacteria, allergens, waste oil, paint or brake fluids that result in illness or injury.
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handle chemical cleaning agents
Ensure proper handling, storage, management and disposal of cleaning chemicals (CIP) in accordance with regulations.
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comply with food safety and hygiene
Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
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maintain a safe, hygienic and secure working environment
Preserve health, hygiene, safety and security in the workplace in accordance with relevant regulations.
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clean surfaces
Disinfect surfaces in accordance with sanitary standards.
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handover the food preparation area
Leave the kitchen area in conditions which follow safe and secure procedures, so that it is ready for the next shift.
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report on possible equipment hazards
Communicate hazard risks and malfunctioning equipment so that incidents are quickly dealt with.
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work in a hospitality team
Function confidently within a group in hospitality services, in which each has his own responsibility in reaching a common goal which is a good interaction with the customers, guests or collaborators and their contentment.
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ensure cleanliness of food preparation area
Guarantee the continuous cleanliness of kitchen preparation, production and storage areas according to hygiene, safety and health regulations.
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carry out stock rotation
Execute repositioning of packaged and perishable products with an earlier sell-by date to the front of a shelf.
Path to become a kitchen porter
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Primary education
9 programmes in 9 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 37 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
These are 1 of 46.
Sources
- 1. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does kitchen porter fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What skills are important for a kitchen porter?
Is this a good role for someone new to the hospitality industry?
What are the working conditions like?
How much does Kitchen Porter pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data