Fast Food Cooks

ANZSCO ID 8511

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
58,600
Future Growth
18%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
14%
Female Share
29%
Average age
18

Summary

Fast Food Cooks prepare a restricted range of foods in fast food establishments.

Specialisations: Short Order Cook.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Fast Food Cook. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in cookery or hospitality.

Tasks

  • taking and serving food and beverage orders, and receiving payment from customers

  • preparing food such as hamburgers, pizzas, fish and chips

  • washing, cutting, measuring and mixing foods for cooking

  • operating cooking equipment such as grills, microwaves and deep-fat fryers

  • cleaning food preparation areas, cooking surfaces and utensils

  • ordering and taking delivery of fast food ingredients

  • may arrange delivery of prepared food and beverages

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 67,200 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
18%
(or 10,300 jobs)
From
56,900
in 2021
To
67,200
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 31,900
2012 40,000
2013 37,700
2014 34,200
2015 38,100
2016 40,400
2017 50,300
2018 47,200
2019 48,400
2020 49,200
2021 56,900
2026 67,200

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 16% of people employed as Fast Food Cooks work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 50 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Accommodation and Food Services
97.8%
2
Manufacturing
1.2%
3
Retail Trade
1.2%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.1% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.5% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Fast Food Cooks All Jobs Average
NSW 31.1 31.6
VIC 27.7 25.6
QLD 21.1 20.0
SA 7.5 7.0
WA 7.7 10.8
TAS 2.4 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.7 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
18
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
29%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Fast Food Cooks is 18 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 15 to 19 years.

    Females make up 29% of the workforce. This is 19 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Fast Food Cooks All Jobs Average
15-19 58.8 5.0
20-24 15.1 9.3
25-34 9.8 22.9
35-44 5.9 22.0
45-54 6.0 21.6
55-59 2.2 9.0
60-64 1.3 6.0
65 and Over 0.7 4.2
Median Age 18 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Fast Food Cook. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in cookery or hospitality.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Retail Services and Tourism, Travel and Hospitality VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Fast Food Cooks All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 4.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 8.4 21.1
Year 12 30.5 18.1
Year 11 16.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 35.4 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Fast Food Cooks who are reliable, interact well with customers and team members and are available when required.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 37%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 34%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 34%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 32%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 32%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 30%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 30%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 29%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 29%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 29%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 29%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 29%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 27%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 27%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 25%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 25%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 23%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 23%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 21%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 44%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 32%

    Food production

    Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.

  • 31%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 31%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 31%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 31%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 30%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 30%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 28%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 27%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 26%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 23%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 18%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 17%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 17%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 17%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 16%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 15%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 13%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 11%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 41%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 41%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 39%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 39%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 39%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 39%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 37%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 37%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 37%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 34%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 32%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 32%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

  • 32%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 32%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 29%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 63%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 61%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 59%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 56%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 53%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 50%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 49%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 49%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 47%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 47%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 45%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 43%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 41%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 41%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 40%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 39%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 39%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 38%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 37%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 30%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 81%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 38%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 57%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 29%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 24%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 21%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 97%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 90%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 87%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 87%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 85%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 80%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 78%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 78%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 77%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 76%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 76%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 73%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 73%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 71%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 70%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 68%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 67%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 65%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 61%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 35-2011.00 - Cooks, Fast Food.


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