Post job

Fast food worker vs cook/server

The differences between fast food workers and cook/servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook/server has an average salary of $29,716, which is higher than the $24,860 average annual salary of a fast food worker.

The top three skills for a fast food worker include food handling, basic math and drive-thru. The most important skills for a cook/server are customer service, customer orders, and safety standards.

Fast food worker vs cook/server overview

Fast Food WorkerCook/Server
Yearly salary$24,860$29,716
Hourly rate$11.95$14.29
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs156,271257,582
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 63%High School Diploma, 52%
Average age2323
Years of experience--

Fast food worker vs cook/server salary

Fast food workers and cook/servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fast Food WorkerCook/Server
Average salary$24,860$29,716
Salary rangeBetween $12,000 And $51,000Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying CityFranklin Square, NYBellingham, WA
Highest paying stateNew HampshireAlaska
Best paying companyUC MercedThe Harley School
Best paying industryHospitalityRetail

Differences between fast food worker and cook/server education

There are a few differences between a fast food worker and a cook/server in terms of educational background:

Fast Food WorkerCook/Server
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 63%High School Diploma, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Fast food worker vs cook/server demographics

Here are the differences between fast food workers' and cook/servers' demographics:

Fast Food WorkerCook/Server
Average age2323
Gender ratioMale, 47.0% Female, 53.0%Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between fast food worker and cook/server duties and responsibilities

Fast food worker example responsibilities.

  • Operate ovens, deep fryers, grills, cash registers, and other appliances.
  • Operate large-volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep-fat fryers, conventional and microwave ovens.
  • Experience at POS, always give customer satisfaction and very persuasive with sales.
  • Landscape public parks utilizing a variety of heavy machinery including weed whackers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers.
  • Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, steaming and grilling.
  • Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with request beverages.

Cook/server example responsibilities.

  • Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
  • Assist customers, bag groceries, replenish carts, and clean store.
  • Pay close attention to detail while multitasking between communicating over the intercom, utilizing the POS, and order placing.
  • Make smoothies, coffee, customer service, cashier, fill bakery cooler, inventory, stock, and clean!
  • Operate the filtration system used for the fryers to keep all sanitation guidelines up to standards as per the health department.
  • Operate, and maintain clean and safe cooking equipment like pressure cooker deep fryers, plate grills, and deep fryers.
  • Show more

Fast food worker vs cook/server skills

Common fast food worker skills
  • Food Handling, 28%
  • Basic Math, 17%
  • Drive-Thru, 9%
  • Safety Standards, 4%
  • Customer Service, 4%
  • Drink Orders, 4%
Common cook/server skills
  • Customer Service, 41%
  • Customer Orders, 8%
  • Safety Standards, 6%
  • Food Preparation, 5%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 4%
  • POS, 4%

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs