Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.

Also called: Cooker Operator, Food Production Worker, Fryer Operator, Kettle Fry Cook Operator, Machine Operator, Mogul Operator, Oven Operator, Peeler Operator, Retort Operator, Thermo Processor, Bakery Fryer, Blanching Machine Operator, Boiler, Brine Maker, Casing Cooker, Chip Fryer, Chocolate Temperer, Coconut Boiler, Confectionery Cooker, Cook Box Filler, Cook-Box Filler, Cooker, Cooker Tender, Corn Cooker, Deep Fat Fry Cook, Dextrine Mixer, Dog and Cat Food Cook, Donut Fryer, Dough Maker, Doughnut Fryer, Doughnut Machine Operator, Doughnut Maker, Doughnut Processor, Dumpling Machine Operator, Fish Fryer, Food Cooking Machine Operator, Fryer, Gum Cook, Gum Machine Operator, Gum Maker, Industrial Cook, Instant Potato Processor, Kettle Cook, Kettle Operator, Kettle Tender, Mash Tub Cooker Operator, Masher, Meal Temperer, Molasses and Caramel Operator, Nut Steamer, Ordering Machine Operator, Pierogi Maker, Popcorn Candy Maker, Potato Chip Frier, Potato Chip Fryer, Potato Chip Maker, Potato Pancake Fryer, Process Cheese Cooker, Sausage Cooker, Scalder, Soybean Specialties Cook, Steak Sauce Maker, Steam Box Hand, Steam Box Tender, Steam Conditioner Operator, Steam Conditioning Operator, Steam Oven Operator, Steam Table Associate, Steam Tender, Steamer, Sterilizer Operator, Sugar Boiler, Thermoscrew Operator, Tripe Cooker, Vacuum Kettle Cook, Vat Skimmer, Wine Pasteurizer, Yeast Distiller

This is a career information profile, not an advertised job opening.

What the worker does

Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
Remove cooked material or products from equipment.
Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.

Skills, machines and equipment

Operations Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Coordination
Complex Problem Solving
Writing
Quality Control Analysis
Judgment and Decision Making
Speaking

Education and training

Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (85.92% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

Ask an employer or registered apprenticeship sponsor about current programs, eligibility, training and pay. A career profile does not confirm that a program is available.

Salary reference

36,190–47,380 USD per year · United States · 2025. Source: BLS OEWS via O*NET · 25th–75th percentiles · SOC 51-3093.

Occupational-group wage references are not guaranteed pay for this specialty or an employer's offer.

Career advancement

Develop reliable production, safety, quality, and equipment skills; explore additional processes, senior specialist, or team-lead responsibilities relevant to your workplace.
Ask employers which demonstrated skills, education, or credentials are needed for the next role. Related careers are exploration options, not automatic promotions.

How Do I Get This Job?

Review the skills and responsibilities above.
Most frequently reported education in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (85.92% of responses). This is survey context, not a universal hiring requirement. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
O*NET Job Zone 2: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. This is broad occupational preparation context; confirm the requirements for a specific employer or apprenticeship.
Compare real openings and confirm requirements directly with the employer.

View available jobs — availability is not guaranteed; sample listings are not real openings.

Related career information

Sources and limitations

O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. ShopFloor adapted occupational grouping, selected manufacturing-relevant occupations, and retained seven legacy guide titles. Specialties and alternative titles are grouped under O*NET occupations; these occupations can also occur outside manufacturing. Source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html. No wage, vacancy, certification, or video data is implied. ShopFloor advancement suggestions are general editorial guidance, not O*NET findings or guaranteed career progression. BLS wage ranges, when available, are national 25th–75th percentiles for the source occupational grouping, across industries; they are not local, apprentice, entry-level, or specialty-specific offers.

Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders