Cooks, fast food
SOC Code: 35-2011
Cooks, fast food carries a 41% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $30,160 and -13.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 669,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 41% AI exposure, Cooks, fast food sits 4 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 71% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
10/100
Cooks, fast food, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $30,160
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -13.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 41% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Cooks, fast food in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is No credential (109/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Cooks, fast food sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Cooks, fast food sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
41% Around the middle lower than 29% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Cooks, fast food vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Cooks, fast food is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Cooks, fast food's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 35-2011) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Cooks, fast food be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Cooks, fast food. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Order and take delivery of supplies.
- 2. Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- 3. Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- 4. Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- 5. Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- 6. Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.
- 7. Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- 8. Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- 9. Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables.
- 10. Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Time Management
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Communications and Media
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Economics and Accounting
- Sales and Marketing
- Production and Processing
- Computers and Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Cooks, fast food?
Cooks, fast food has an AI exposure score of 41%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Cooks, fast food?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Cooks, fast food is projected to decline by 13.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 669,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Cooks, fast food?
Key skills for Cooks, fast food include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Cooks, fast food earn?
The median annual wage for Cooks, fast food is $30,160, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Cooks, fast food?
The typical entry-level education for Cooks, fast food is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Cooks, fast food?
Cooks, fast food roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Cooks, fast food: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (41% here).
- Computer and information research scientists · AI exposure 41%
- Cooks, institution and cafeteria · AI exposure 41%
- Cooks, restaurant · AI exposure 41%
- Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors · AI exposure 41%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-13.5% here).
- Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials · growth -13.5%
- Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles · growth -13.6%
- Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic · growth -13.6%
- Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic · growth -13.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
What to do with this
Use Cooks, fast food's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Cooks, fast food side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).