Occupation information for

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

Currently Employed: 4,663

Yearly Projected Openings: 160

Typical Hourly Wage: $11.78 - $15.18

Typical Annual Salary: $24,500 - $31,600

• Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment and work surfaces, or serving areas to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
• Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
• Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
• Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.
• Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
• Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
• Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
• Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
• Observe and test foods to determine if they have been cooked sufficiently, using methods such as tasting, smelling, or piercing them with utensils.
• Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.

• Commercial use cutlery
• Commercial use ovens
• Cutting machinery
• Domestic knives
• Slicing machinery

• Compliance software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Inventory management software
• Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
• Point of sale POS software