How to hire a fry cook

How to hire a fry cook, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fry cook hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fry cook job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fry cook
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a fry cook do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the fry cook you need to hire. Certain fry cook roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect fry cook also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of fry cook salaries for various roles:

   Type of Fry Cook	Description	Hourly rate
   Fry Cook	Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	$11-18
   Cook/Dietary Aide	A cook/dietary aide is an individual who works along with the dietary managers, cooks, and dieticians. Dietary aides prepare meals, beverages, and snacks... Show more	$10-16
   Cook/Dishwasher	Cooks/dishwashers must develop kitchen skills to excel in this line of job. Each cook or dishwasher must learn to develop skills in food preparation, sanitation, and customer service... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Customer Service
   • Safety Standards
   • Deep-Fat Fryers
   • Food Products
   • Fine Dining
   • Food Preparation
   • Dishwashers
   • Fryers
   • Customer Orders
   • Quality Standards
   • Food Quality
   • La Carte
   • Mix Ingredients

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
   • Grill burgers and used the deep fryers for various foods, clean all equipment at the end of the shift.
   • Bread and cook chicken, fry foods, run and clean fryers, clean coolers, do dishes general utilities.
   • Job responsibilities include preparing and executing dishes, as well as assuming responsibility for cleanliness of restaurant.
   • Provide friendly, quality, customer service to each Chipotle customer.

   More fry cook duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fry cook job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A fry cook salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a fry cook in Texas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level fry cook usually earns less than a senior-level fry cook. Additionally, a fry cook with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average fry cook salary

   $14.72hourly

   $30,622 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level fry cook salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average fry cook salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$36,521	$18
   2	Oregon	$36,376	$17
   3	District of Columbia	$35,158	$17
   4	Colorado	$32,794	$16
   5	Massachusetts	$32,053	$15
   6	Maryland	$30,557	$15
   7	Hawaii	$30,279	$15
   8	Utah	$30,198	$15
   9	Arizona	$29,649	$14
   10	Nevada	$28,877	$14
   11	Nebraska	$28,437	$14
   12	Florida	$26,396	$13
   13	Kentucky	$26,185	$13
   14	Ohio	$25,617	$12
   15	Georgia	$24,986	$12
   16	Louisiana	$24,746	$12
   17	Arkansas	$24,740	$12
   18	Oklahoma	$24,730	$12
   19	Texas	$24,589	$12
   20	Kansas	$21,941	$11

   Average fry cook salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Anthony	$36,034	$17.32	6
   2	Erickson Senior Living	$35,572	$17.10	34
   3	Emerald Queen Casino	$33,417	$16.07	1
   4	Shake Shack	$32,719	$15.73	15
   5	Compass Group USA	$32,328	$15.54	6,739
   6	Kingfish Restaurant	$31,935	$15.35	32
   7	Trinity Health	$31,610	$15.20	103
   8	Insignia Systems	$31,539	$15.16	5
   9	World of Beer	$31,506	$15.15
   10	Country Fresh	$31,089	$14.95
   11	Benny's	$30,668	$14.74	2
   12	SAGE Dining Services	$30,653	$14.74	72
   13	The Blackstone	$30,514	$14.67	6
   14	Orange County	$30,383	$14.61	4
   15	Thompson Hospitality	$30,229	$14.53	96
   16	Island Holdings Inc	$30,180	$14.51
   17	Guest Services	$29,931	$14.39	28
   18	HMSHost	$29,922	$14.39	75
   19	Oxford	$29,858	$14.35	2
   20	Elior North America	$29,791	$14.32	268

4. Writing a fry cook job description

   A fry cook job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fry cook job description:

   Fry cook job description example

   Job DescriptionThe Fry Cook position is responsible for supporting the food and beverage department by preparing and cooking food for casino guests. Additional duties include performing prep work, assist with line cooking, organizes walk in storage and keeps work area clean and orderly. Performs additional job duties as assigned by the department manager.
   
   The position starts at $17.48/hr and increases to the standard $18.57/hr at completion of a 90 day orientation period.
   Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent required Culinary training (preferred)
   Experience & Requirements: Experience in grilling, broiling and sautéing. Preps red meat and pastas Must be fast and capable of working on as many as 30 orders at a time Must be able to coordinate cooking times with co-workers, have knowledge of food decoration and food temperatures, and be able to prepare food quickly and efficiently while maintaining good personal health standards Must have valid Washington State food handler’s card
   Physical Requirements: Must be able stand for longer than 8 hours The ability to lift 40 pounds Mobility to climb stairs on a routine basis Must be able to tolerate a smoke filled environment
   Additional Requirements: Must be able to pass a pre-employment illegal drug screen Upon offer must obtain Class IIIB Gaming License ($155 - $200) Must be able to work all scheduled shifts to include day, swing, graveyard and holidays
   Qualifications: Licenses & Certifications
   
   Required: OSHA Training
   
   About Emerald Queen Casino:
   
   Emerald Queen Casino at Fife is a popular local spot as well as a favorite concert and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest region. Amenities at EQC Fife include over 2,300 slots, 103 hotel rooms, and a voluminous 25,000 square foot multi-purpose event space and ballroom.Just three miles south of Fife, in the city of Tacoma, is the location of the second EQC property—Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma, a $400 million project that opened in June 2020. This brand-new facility boasts a Vegas-style gaming floor complete with over 2,100 slots, more than 60 table games, 155 hotel rooms and suites, six dining venues, and a 250-seat sports bar.EQC Tacoma features traditional and contemporary Coast Salish artwork and architectural elements designed by Puyallup tribal members. Keeping the environment in mind, building elements using recycled materials and architecture designed to meet or beat the State’s energy code requirements were thoughtfully executed during construction.EQC Tacoma is also the home of the Emerald Queen Event Center, a state-of-the-art indoor event space with stadium seating capacity for 1800+ concert-goers.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right fry cook for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with fry cooks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit fry cooks who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fry cook job on Zippia to find and recruit fry cook candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting fry cooks requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fry cook

   Once you have selected a candidate for the fry cook position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new fry cook. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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