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Cooks, Fast Food

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$30,160	85900	-13.7%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$30,160

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

85900

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

-13.7%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment.
Cook foods.
Check quality of foods or supplies.
Process customer bills or payments.
Take customer orders.
Cook foods.
Prepare foods for cooking or serving.
Measure ingredients.
Cook foods.
Cook foods.
Serve food or beverages.
Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies.
Cook foods.
Prepare breads or doughs.
Coordinate timing of food production activities.
Serve food or beverages.
Prepare hot or cold beverages.
Mix ingredients.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Cook foods.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Order and take delivery of supplies.
Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.
Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables.
Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold.
Prepare dough, following recipe.
Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
Measure ingredients required for specific food items.
Mix ingredients, such as pancake or waffle batters.
Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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