Cooking and making food, backing up the fry station, and putting the orders together.
CAREER
Cooks, Fast Food
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$24,380
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
-13.4% (decline)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Cooks, Fast Food Do
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.
Other Job Titles Cooks, Fast Food May Have
Cook, Deep Fat Fryer Operator, Fast Food Cook, Fry Cook, Fryer, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Pizza Cook, Pizza Maker, Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook)
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
I maintain a clean and organized environment and always come in in a good mood and ready to work with teammates. I have worked at Sir Pizza for almost 6 years now in total on and off, and I've learned many customer service, attention to detail, and cooking skills. I prep, cook, clean, deliver, and other various duties at the restaurant. I love to cook and serve food to people and always try my hardest to put out the best food I can.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- 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.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Cooks, Fast Food
Most common level of education among people in
this career: High school diploma or equivalent (43%)
Less than high school diploma
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Small Business Administration/Man...
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Culinary Arts/Chef Training
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Learning about registers and credit card machines, how to get along in a group, and how are franchises different from a private owner.
For me, what is important to succeed is to have a positive mindset, to find something to enjoy in what you do no matter what it is, and to just be a people person somewhat. It's important to deliver a good experience to customers and that's something you can only really learn with hands-on learning in the job world.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Take classes in cooking and business administration.
Just take that first step! Just like filling out that first job application, you just have to overcome any anxieties, take a chance, and see where life takes you. If you don't try, you've already failed.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
