What is a Fast Food Cook?
Career 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.
Daily Life Of a Fast Food Cook
- Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items being prepared.
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
- Mix ingredients, such as pancake or waffle batters.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Fast Food Cook?
Below is a list of the skills most Fast Food Cooks say are important on the job.
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.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Fast Food Cook
- Grill Cook
- Crew Trainer
- Fast Food Fry Cook
- Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook)
- Specialty Cook
Job Demand for Fast Food Cooks
In the United States, there were 517,600 jobs for Fast Food Cook in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Fast Food Cook. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 67,200 job openings in this field each year.
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.
Average Fast Food Cooks Salary
The typical yearly salary for Fast Food Cooks is somewhere between $17,390 and $29,290.
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?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Fast Food Cooks:
- 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
Are there Fast Food Cooks education requirements?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Fast Food Cooks Work
Below are examples of industries where Fast Food Cooks work:
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References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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