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Short Order Cook

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What Does it Take to Be a Short Order Cook?

Job Description & Duties 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.

Short Order Cook Responsibilities

  • Order supplies and stock them on shelves.
  • Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
  • Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
  • Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
  • Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
  • Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.

What a Short Order Cook Should Know

Short Order Cooks state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

  • Caterer
  • Sandwich Artist
  • Short Order Cook
  • Chuck Wagon Cook
  • Pizza Cook

Are There Job Opportunities for Short Order Cooks?

There were about 185,900 jobs for Short Order Cook in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Short Order Cook. The BLS estimates 24,700 yearly job openings in this field.

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The states with the most job growth for Short Order Cook are Utah, Washington, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Short Order Cooks Make A Lot Of Money?

The typical yearly salary for Short Order Cooks is somewhere between $18,190 and $34,370.

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Short Order Cooks who work in Alaska, Hawaii, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Short Order Cooks in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $21,910
Alaska $33,400
Arizona $26,090
Arkansas $24,900
California $28,530
Colorado $26,900
Connecticut $29,430
Delaware $22,230
District of Columbia $31,010
Florida $29,350
Georgia $23,560
Hawaii $29,920
Idaho $21,050
Illinois $24,770
Indiana $21,270
Iowa $21,810
Kansas $23,220
Kentucky $20,500
Louisiana $21,270
Maine $26,910
Maryland $25,570
Massachusetts $33,670
Michigan $23,760
Minnesota $27,370
Mississippi $21,340
Missouri $22,440
Montana $25,010
Nebraska $25,050
Nevada $30,750
New Hampshire $24,240
New Jersey $25,030
New Mexico $24,880
New York $27,580
North Carolina $21,920
North Dakota $24,700
Ohio $22,680
Oklahoma $20,460
Oregon $26,330
Pennsylvania $27,180
Rhode Island $27,890
South Carolina $22,330
South Dakota $24,070
Tennessee $22,420
Texas $22,880
Utah $24,870
Vermont $28,570
Virginia $24,300
Washington $29,690
West Virginia $20,680
Wisconsin $24,000
Wyoming $22,380

What Tools do Short Order Cooks Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Short Order Cooks may use on a daily basis:

  • Point of sale POS software
  • Inventory control software
  • Plexis Software Plexis POS
  • RestaurantPlus PRO
  • Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
  • Foodman Home-Delivery

How do I Become a Short Order Cook?

Learn what Short Order Cook education requirements there are.

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Short Order Cook?

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Short Order Cooks Sector

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The table below shows the approximate number of Short Order Cooks employed by various industries.

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References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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