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All About Fast Food Cooks
Position Description 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.
List of Fast Food Cook Job Duties
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Prepare dough, following recipe.
- Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Fast Food Cook?
When polled, Fast Food Cooks say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Types of Fast Food Cook Jobs
- Crew Trainer
- Pizza Cook
- Restaurant Worker
- Pizza Chef
- Grill Cook
Job Demand for Fast Food Cooks
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 517,600 jobs in the United States for Fast Food Cook. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Fast Food Cook. The BLS estimates 67,200 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Fast Food Cook are Washington, Alaska, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, West Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Fast Food Cook Make?
The salary for Fast Food Cooks ranges between about $17,390 and $29,290 a year.
Fast Food Cooks who work in Hawaii, Washington, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Fast Food Cooks make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $19,220 |
| Alaska | $26,420 |
| Arizona | $23,620 |
| Arkansas | $20,840 |
| California | $25,330 |
| Colorado | $24,130 |
| Connecticut | $27,040 |
| Delaware | $21,450 |
| District of Columbia | $29,220 |
| Florida | $22,550 |
| Georgia | $20,430 |
| Hawaii | $28,160 |
| Idaho | $19,360 |
| Illinois | $21,690 |
| Indiana | $20,000 |
| Iowa | $20,500 |
| Kansas | $19,760 |
| Kentucky | $20,670 |
| Louisiana | $19,440 |
| Maine | $23,700 |
| Maryland | $24,830 |
| Massachusetts | $28,620 |
| Michigan | $22,580 |
| Minnesota | $24,370 |
| Mississippi | $18,270 |
| Missouri | $20,800 |
| Montana | $22,550 |
| Nebraska | $22,490 |
| Nevada | $22,230 |
| New Hampshire | $22,400 |
| New Jersey | $23,410 |
| New Mexico | $20,840 |
| New York | $26,210 |
| North Carolina | $19,020 |
| North Dakota | $25,000 |
| Ohio | $21,630 |
| Oklahoma | $19,380 |
| Oregon | $26,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $20,530 |
| Rhode Island | $24,950 |
| South Carolina | $19,810 |
| South Dakota | $22,280 |
| Tennessee | $20,490 |
| Texas | $21,000 |
| Utah | $23,750 |
| Vermont | $25,660 |
| Virginia | $20,320 |
| Washington | $28,960 |
| West Virginia | $21,330 |
| Wisconsin | $22,780 |
| Wyoming | $20,210 |
What Tools & Technology do Fast Food Cooks Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Fast Food Cooks may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Point of sale POS software
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
Becoming a Fast Food Cook
What education or degrees do I need to become a Fast Food Cook?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Fast Food Cooks Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
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References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.