What is the salary of a Cook, Fast Food?

The typical salary range is $21,112 - $42,224 per year.

Hospitality, Travel, & FoodStableBright Outlook

Cook, Fast Food

Operational-level

Also known as: Cook, Deep Fat Fryer Operator, Fast Food Cook, Fast Food Fry Cook

Hospitality, Travel, & FoodBachelor's Degree

Job Description

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.

Fast Food OperationsFood PreparationKitchen OperationsQuick Service Restaurant (QSR)HospitalityFood Service ManagementCustomer ServiceNutrition

Skills employers are looking for in 2027

Software and technologies flagged by O*NET as Hot or In-Demand for this role.

Hot technologies

Microsoft Excel Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Word

Job Outlook 2025-2035

Bright Outlook

O*NET flags this career as a Bright Outlook occupation: has a large number of job openings.

Projected growth

+0.6%

US average: +3.5%

Job openings

86,400

per year (US)

Jobs today

640,500

in 2025 → 644,100 (2035)

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

Work Environment

How this work is typically performed, based on O*NET work context data.

Email & digital communication

Low

Working in a team

High

Contact with others

High

Freedom to make decisions

Moderate

Time pressure

Moderate

Time spent sitting

Low

Working outdoors

Low

Indoor, climate-controlled

High

Dealing with customers

Moderate

Level of competition

Moderate

Source: O*NET Work Context (v31.0)

Future Perspective

Stable Job Market

This field maintains steady employment levels with consistent demand. Job opportunities remain available with moderate competition.

Career ladder

Often before this role

Plongeur
Préparateur d'aliments (non-cuisson)
Aide de cuisine

Cook, Fast Food

Where it can lead

Cuisinier de restaurant
Chef d'équipe (restauration rapide)
Assistant gérant (restauration rapide)

Impact of AI on this Job

In the next 5-10 years, AI will increasingly automate repetitive tasks for fast-food cooks, such as frying, grilling, and basic assembly, via robotic kitchen assistants and optimized systems. This shift will likely reduce the demand for purely manual cooking roles, pushing human workers toward supervisory positions, quality control, maintenance, or handling more complex, customized orders.

Salary

$30,890

Median annual wage, BLS 2025

Required Education

Bachelor's Degree

Minimum educational requirement for this position

Relevant Studies

Based on job level & field

Hotel Management

Bachelor • Hospitality • 4 years

Finance & Control