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Food Service

Cooks, Short Order

Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Cooks, Short Order
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Median pay

$35,620
Median annual pay for Cooks, Short Order.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

-5.6%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

20,600
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

151,100
Estimated U.S. employment for Cooks, Short Order in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

-8,400
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

No formal educational credential
Typical additional preparation: Short-term on-the-job training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Active Listening
  2. 2Reading Comprehension
  3. 3Speaking
  4. 4Critical Thinking
  5. 5Monitoring
  6. 6Active Learning

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Food Production
  2. 2Customer and Personal Service
  3. 3English Language
  4. 4Production and Processing
  5. 5Communications and Media
  6. 6Chemistry

Abilities

  1. 1Near Vision
  2. 2Oral Comprehension
  3. 3Trunk Strength
  4. 4Information Ordering
  5. 5Manual Dexterity
  6. 6Arm-Hand Steadiness

Career interests

  1. 1Realistic
  2. 2Conventional
  3. 3Enterprising
  4. 4Social
  5. 5Artistic
  6. 6Investigative

Work styles

  1. 1Dependability
  2. 2Stress Tolerance
  3. 3Attention to Detail
  4. 4Self-Control
  5. 5Cooperation
  6. 6Social Orientation

Work activities

  1. 1Processing Information
  2. 2Getting Information
  3. 3Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
  4. 4Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  5. 5Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
  6. 6Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Work context

  1. 1Spend Time Standing
  2. 2Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  3. 3Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  4. 4Freedom to Make Decisions
  5. 5Physical Proximity
  6. 6Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings

Representative tasks

  • Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
  • Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
  • Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
  • Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
  • Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
  • Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
  • Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
  • Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.

Software and tools

Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants ProFoodman Home-DeliveryInventory control softwarePlexis Software Plexis POSRestaurantPlus PRO

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.