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.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Cooks, Fast Food to increase by 0.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 640,500 to 644,100 jobs. Its estimate of 86,400 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($30,890), education (No formal educational credential), and related experience (None) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
640,500
Projected employment (2034)
644,100
Projected change (2024–2034)
1%
Annual openings (projected average)
86,400
Pay & Preparation
$30,890
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Service Orientation (3.12/5) • Active Listening (3/5) • Speaking (2.88/5) • Coordination (2.75/5) • Reading Comprehension (2.75/5) • Critical Thinking (2.62/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
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