Cooks, Fast Food
Hospitality and TourismO*NET 35-2011.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $30,712
- Projected change
- −5.9%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 662.49K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
100% of the workforce
Growing to 623.7K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What cooks, fast food do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Order and take delivery of supplies.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- 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.
- Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.
- 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.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Prepare dough, following recipe.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items.
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
- 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.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $22,191
- 25th percentile
- $26,929
- 50th percentile
- $30,712
- 75th percentile
- $37,270
- 90th percentile
- $43,580
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $30,712 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−5.9%projected to decline
2025662,491 jobs
2035 projected623,699 jobs
38,792 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 100%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- 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.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Line Cooks36,085 postings
- 02Line Cooks/Prep Cooks3,907 postings
- 03Line/Prep Cooks2,700 postings
- 04Pizza Cooks2,525 postings
- 05Pizza Makers/Cooks1,774 postings
- 06Lead Line Cooks1,568 postings
- 07Cooks1,396 postings
- 08Restaurant Line Cooks1,044 postings
- 09Grill Cooks706 postings
- 10Line Cooks Supervisor593 postings
- 11Fry Cooks541 postings
- 12Breakfast Line Cooks535 postings
- 13Kitchen Line Cooks462 postings
- 14Line Cooks/Bakers413 postings
- 15Line Cooks/Cashiers372 postings
- 16Line Cooks/Trainers357 postings
- 17Cooks/Kitchen Managers330 postings
- 18Fine Dining Cooks323 postings
- 19Grill Line Cooks315 postings
- 20Lead Cooks248 postings
Top employers
- 01Chili's Grill & Bar3,331 postings
- 02CEC Entertainment1,247 postings
- 03Hilton497 postings
- 04Landry's478 postings
- 05French Lick Resort456 postings
- 06Texas Roadhouse328 postings
- 07Pizza Hut310 postings
- 08Applebee's306 postings
- 09Marriott International303 postings
- 10Hyatt278 postings
- 11Outback Steakhouse258 postings
- 12Nordstrom249 postings
- 13Delaware North239 postings
- 14Davidson Hospitality228 postings
- 15Texas Roadhouse Management Corp222 postings
- 16Troon Golf, L.L.C.200 postings
- 17Dave & Busters Management197 postings
- 18Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants173 postings
- 19Ssp Group Plc162 postings
- 20Oak View Group149 postings
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