How to hire cooks, fast food
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils. • Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously. • Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas. • Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles. • Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time. • Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions. • Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers. • Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong active listening skills • Working knowledge of food production and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $14.85 an hour ($30,890 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for cooks, fast food
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What cooks, fast food do
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for cooks, fast food
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +0.6% over ten years, little or no change · about 86,400 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay cooks, fast food
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $44,670 |
| California | $42,050 |
| Washington | $39,120 |
| New Hampshire | $38,590 |
| Vermont | $38,230 |
| Kentucky | $23,500 |
| West Virginia | $23,120 |
| Mississippi | $22,670 |
See cooks, fast food pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Cooks, Short Order
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Food Preparation Workers
- Bakers
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Butchers and Meat Cutters
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
- Food Batchmakers
- Cooks, Private Household
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.