Cooks, Fast Food
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.
Also called: Cook · Deep Fat Fryer Operator · Fast Food Cook · Fry Cook · Fryer · Grill Cook
Median pay (national)
$30,160
$22,370–$38,980 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
668,230
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-13.5%
~82,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for cooks, fast food shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $38,980 versus $22,370 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $30,160 leaves roughly 29% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -13.5% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 82,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, Hawaii pays the most for this role (median $40,300, +34% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $21,300 — a 89% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- 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.
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items.
- Order and take delivery of supplies.
Tools & technology
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Communications and Media
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Economics and Accounting
- Sales and Marketing