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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $35,620 in the US and is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.49 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Time Management, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Coordination, Service Orientation.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £22,886 a year for Kitchen and catering assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £18,811 to £26,766 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9263). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Food Production
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Communications and Media
- Chemistry
- Public Safety and Security
- Foreign Language
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Cooks, short order do?
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.
How much does Cooks, short order earn?
The median annual salary for Cooks, short order in the US is $35,620.
What is the job outlook for Cooks, short order?
The role is projected to decline by 6% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 151,100 workers.
How do I become cooks, short order?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Cooks, short order need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Time Management, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Coordination, Service Orientation, Speaking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Cooks, short order?
Our AI-durability model gives Cooks, short order a score of 0.49 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Cooks, short order has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.