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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$35,880

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$23k – $46k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Cooks, Short Order

    Entry / Junior

    $23,440

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Cooks, Short Order

    Established

    $35,880

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Cooks, Short Order

    Senior

    $41,170

Key skills

A typical day

  • 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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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