What Do Fast Food Cook Do?
Job Description & Duties 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.
Life As a Fast Food Cook: What Do They Do?
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- 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.
Featured schools near , edit
Things a Fast Food Cook Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Fast Food Cooks say are the most useful in their careers:
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
- Specialty Cook
- Pizza Cook
- Fast Food Fry Cook
- Pizza Maker
- Cashier
Is There Going to be Demand for Fast Food Cooks?
There were about 517,600 jobs for Fast Food Cook in 2016 (in the United States). 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.
Average Fast Food Cooks Salary
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 different U.S. states?
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 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
How do I Become a Fast Food Cook?
Learn what Fast Food Cook education requirements there are.

What work experience do I need to become a Fast Food Cook?

Fast Food Cooks Sector

Below are examples of industries where Fast Food Cooks work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Fast Food Cook might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |