Short Order Food Preparer Schools, Salaries, and Job Data
Short Order Food Preparers Job Overview
Short order food preparers prepare a wide range of dishes in restaurants and coffee shops, which require fast service and quick food preparation. They grill and garnish hamburgers, prepare sandwiches, fry eggs and cook French fries, often working on several orders at the same time. They work on a limited number of items on the menu. While there is not much rush, they prepare food for quick delivery. They may slice meat or vegetables and prepare soups or salads. They may even have to clean the grill, counters and floors. They may also accept payment and make change.
Short Order Food Preparers Schools and Degrees
The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic training programs and sponsors apprenticeship programs around the country. Typical apprenticeships last for 2 years and combine classroom training and work experience. Accreditation is an indication that a culinary program meets recognized standards regarding course content, facilities and quality of instruction.
Courses offered by high school or vocational school programs are basic food safety and handling procedures, cooking and general business and computer classes. Many school districts, in cooperation with State departments of education, provide on-the-job training and summer workshops for cafeteria kitchen workers who want to become chefs. Food service management companies or hotel and restaurant chains also offer paid internships and summer jobs to those starting out in the field.
Job Requirements
No formal education is required for becoming short order food preparers. However, many employers prefer that you have a high school degree or equivalent. Experience working as a cook or kitchen worker in a restaurant is helpful.
Short order food preparers should be efficient, quick and work well in a team. They should have some creativity and an intense sense of taste and smell. Personal cleanliness is essential because most states require health certificates indicating workers are free from communicable diseases.
Nature of Work
Short order food preparers work in diverse environments depending on the type and quantity of food prepared and also on the local laws governing food service operations. Restaurant kitchens usually have modern equipment, air conditioning and convenient working conditions. They often experience minor injuries like slips and falls and cuts and burn.
Short Order Food Preparers Jobs and Outlook
According to research in 2006, short order food preparers held about 195,000 jobs in the U.S. That number is expected to grow by 5% by the next ten years. Employment is highest in the following industries:
Drinking places, alcoholic beverages
Full-Service Restaurants
Gasoline Stations
Limited-Service Eating Places
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
The mean hourly wage for short order food preparers in the U.S. is about $9.41, while the mean annual wages are around $19,580.
Job Numbers and Growth
There were about 195,000 short order food preparers across the US in 2008. Unemployment for workers was considered very high in the recent past, relative to other occupations. The percentage of employees unemployed in 2008 was 9%.
Area Job Conditions
The cities with the most short order food preparers per capita are Ocean City (New Jersey), Lancaster (Pennsylvania), and Athens (Georgia), while the worst cities are Lexington (Kentucky), Elkhart (Indiana), and Sarasota (Florida).
The highest salaries for workers are in and around Asheville (North Carolina), New Haven (Connecticut), and Oakland (California). The lowest-paying areas are Jackson (Mississippi), McAllen (Texas), and Houma (Louisiana).
Training and Education
Education or job training for employees typically involves short-term on-the-job training. At least 5% of short order food preparers had a degree of four or more years. About 19% of workers had some college below a bachelor's degree. An estimated 77% of employees had just a high-school diploma. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
An estimated 30% of short order food preparers work part-time. An estimated 2% of workers were self-employed.
Short Order Food Preparers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.