Cooks, Fast Food
Tasks Include:
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items.
- Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables.
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
more »
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™; US Department of Labor (BLS); Virginia Workforce Connection. (Using onet28)
Projections Quick View:
Virginia: -1.3%
National: -8.7%
Education
High School Diploma
Job Zone:
One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Income Range:
Mid Range ($28,000 - $35,999)
Median Earnings:
National
$27,640.00
State
$28,630.00
Regional
Cooks, Fast Food
Description
Career Cluster: | Hospitality & Tourism |
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.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Education
Required Level of Education
- High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) = 57.98%
- Less than a High School Diploma = 42.02%
Related Work Experience
- None = 74.58%
- Up to and including 1 month = 21%
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years = 4.42%
On-Site or In-Plant Training
- Up to and including 1 month = 69.11%
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year = 21%
- None = 9.54%
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months = 0.35%
On-the-Job Training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month = 72.26%
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year = 21%
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months = 3.77%
- None or short demonstration = 2.97%
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Tasks
Core Tasks Include:
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items.
- Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables.
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- Prepare dough, following recipe.
- Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times.
- Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.
- Mix ingredients, such as pancake or waffle batters.
- Order and take delivery of supplies.
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Tools and Technology
Tools Include:
- Domestic wooden oven paddle (Bakers' peels)
- Cappuccino or espresso machines (Cappuccino makers)
- Carbonated beverage dispenser (Carbonated beverage dispensers)
- Cash registers
- Commercial use cutlery (Chefs' knives)
- Commercial use coffee or iced tea makers (Commercial coffeemakers)
- Commercial use convection ovens (Convection ovens)
- Commercial use deep fryers (Deep fat fryers)
- Commercial use ranges (Electric ovens)
- Commercial use scales (Food scales)
- Commercial use heat lamps (Food warmers)
- Commercial use ranges (Gas ovens)
- Commercial use griddles (Griddles)
- Commercial use grills (Grills)
- Commercial use hot dog grills (Hot dog cookers)
- Ice dispensers (Ice-making machines)
- Intercom systems
- Non carbonated beverage dispenser (Juice dispensers)
- Milkshake machines (Milkshake and smoothie machines)
- Commercial use mixers (Mixers)
- Commercial use pizza ovens (Pizza ovens)
- Point of sale POS terminal (Point of sale POS computer terminals)
- Commercial use food slicers (Slicing machines)
- Soft serve machines (Soft-serve ice cream machines)
- Touch screen monitors
Technologies Include:
- Point of sale POS software
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- Point of sale POS software
- RestaurantPlus PRO
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Knowledge
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
58.50 | Administration and Management | Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
56.50 | Transportation | Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
55.00 | Communications and Media | Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. |
53.25 | Customer and Personal Service | Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
53.25 | Public Safety and Security | Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
52.00 | English Language | Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Skills
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
50.00 | 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. |
50.00 | Service Orientation | Actively looking for ways to help people. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Abilities
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
65.50 | Oral Comprehension | The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
53.00 | Information Ordering | The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
53.00 | Near Vision | The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
50.00 | Speech Recognition | The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Work Activities
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
50.00 | Getting Information | Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
50.00 | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates | Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
49.75 | Performing General Physical Activities | Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
49.75 | Handling and Moving Objects | Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Work Styles
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
69.25 | Integrity | Job requires being honest and ethical. |
67.75 | Cooperation | Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
67.00 | Dependability | Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
65.25 | Social Orientation | Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
62.00 | Stress Tolerance | Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. |
61.50 | Self-Control | Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
59.25 | Concern for Others | Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
58.25 | Independence | Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
58.00 | Attention to Detail | Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
56.50 | Initiative | Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
56.00 | Adaptability/Flexibility | Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
54.00 | Analytical Thinking | Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
51.25 | Leadership | Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. |
51.00 | Persistence | Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. |
50.75 | Achievement/Effort | Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Work Values
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
55.50 | Relationships | Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
50.00 | Support | Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Work Context
% | Subject | Description |
---|---|---|
98.60 | Face-to-Face Discussions | How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
87.40 | Spend Time Standing | How much does this job require standing? |
78.00 | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
78.00 | Consequence of Error | How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? |
77.40 | Work With Work Group or Team | How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
75.00 | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? |
73.60 | Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People | How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements? |
71.60 | Physical Proximity | To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? |
71.20 | Telephone | How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
70.80 | Deal With External Customers | How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? |
69.80 | Frequency of Decision Making | How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? |
68.20 | Public Speaking | How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job? |
65.40 | Contact With Others | How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
65.40 | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety | How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? |
65.20 | Time Pressure | How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? |
63.20 | Coordinate or Lead Others | How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? |
63.00 | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results | How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? |
63.00 | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? |
61.80 | Freedom to Make Decisions | How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
59.40 | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
58.80 | Frequency of Conflict Situations | How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job? |
52.00 | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
- Overall Experience
- Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
- Job Training
- Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
- Examples
- These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, floor sanders and finishers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
- Education
- Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Earnings Benefits*
Region | Entry Level | Median | Experienced |
---|---|---|---|
United States | $20,680.00 | $27,640.00 | $31,970.00 |
Virginia | $22,880.00 | $28,630.00 | $33,950.00 |
Region | Entry Level | Median | Experienced |
Bay Consortium | $25,973.42 | $31,072.99 | $35,450.32 |
Capital Region Workforce Partnership | $24,208.06 | $29,687.04 | $32,077.43 |
Central VA/Region2000 | $23,914.36 | $24,683.63 | $28,228.98 |
Crater Area | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Greater Peninsula | $24,420.24 | $27,984.40 | $31,163.92 |
Hampton Roads | No Data | No Data | No Data |
New River/Mt. Rogers | $23,914.36 | $25,306.58 | $29,418.42 |
Northern Virginia and Alexandria/Arlington | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Piedmont Workforce | $24,651.23 | $30,060.18 | $33,515.64 |
Shenandoah Valley | No Data | No Data | No Data |
South Central | $23,914.36 | $25,005.56 | $29,931.62 |
Southwestern Virginia | $23,914.36 | $25,010.78 | $29,521.90 |
West Piedmont | $23,914.36 | $25,134.12 | $29,475.91 |
Western Virginia | $24,045.01 | $28,671.10 | $30,346.57 |
* Earnings Calculations:
Regional Earnings:
Entry = Annual mean of the lower 1/3 wage distribution;
Experienced = Annual mean of the upper 2/3 wage distribution.
National and State Earnings:
Entry = Annual 10th percentile wage;
Experienced = Annual 75th percentile wage.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: US Department of Labor (BLS); Virginia Workforce Connection. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Employment Projections
Current | Projected | % Change | |
---|---|---|---|
United States | 792,300 | 723,200 | -8.7% |
Virginia | 9,115 | 8,999 | -1.3% |
Region | Current* | Projected | % Change |
Bay Consortium | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Capital Region Workforce Partnership | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Central VA/Region2000 | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Crater Area | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Greater Peninsula | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Hampton Roads | No Data | No Data | No Data |
New River/Mt. Rogers | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Northern Virginia and Alexandria/Arlington | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Piedmont Workforce | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Shenandoah Valley | No Data | No Data | No Data |
South Central | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Southwestern Virginia | No Data | No Data | No Data |
West Piedmont | No Data | No Data | No Data |
Western Virginia | No Data | No Data | No Data |
The data sources for the information displayed here include: US Department of Labor (BLS); Virginia Workforce Connection. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Related Occupations
Related Occupations
The related occupations here have similar general capabilities and interests; career explorers may also be interested in the related occupations:- Cooks, Short Order
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- Food Batchmakers
- Baristas
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- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Dishwashers
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
- Food Service Managers
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
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- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
Careers in Restaurants and Food/Beverage Services Pathway:
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- Cooks, Private Household
- Cooks, Restaurant
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- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other
- Food Preparation Workers
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
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The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
View Videos
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Overview
Occupations
The data sources for the information displayed here include: New York State Department of Labor; New Jersey Department of Labor; California Occupational Information Coordinating Committee; CareerOneStop. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Proficiency Ratings
These proficiencies are scored on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being not
important to the job and 5 being extremely important to the job.
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Titles
- Cashier
- Cook
- Crew Member
- Crew Person
- Crew Trainer
- Fast Food Cook
- Fast Food Fry Cook
- Fry Cook
- Fryline Attendant
- Grill Cook
- Line Cook
- Pizza Baker
- Pizza Chef
- Pizza Cook
- Pizza Maker
- Prep Cook
- Restaurant Worker
- Specialty Cook
The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)
Cooks, Fast Food
Related Schools
There are no Related Schools at this time.The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet28)