| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
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| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously. |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases. |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity. |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use. |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold. |
| Importance: 96 (%) | Description: Measure ingredients required for specific food items. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Order and take delivery of supplies. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Mix ingredients, such as pancake or waffle batters. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Prepare dough, following recipe. |
Associate Degree Entry Level Careers and Jobs
Explore Careers and Jobs Predominantly Filled by Those with an Associate's Degree or Less, having 1 year or less of work experience - All On One Page
Sorted by median annual U.S. salary, including % with Associate's Degree (or less), and % with 1 year experience (or less).
These entry-level roles are open to associate's degree graduates and offer a practical starting point for building experience and advancing. For recent graduates or career changers seeking their first role with a two-year degree. Compare starting salaries and degree-holder percentages, then access preparation resources built for new graduates.
Here is a short Helper Video
.
This page will take you through 4 steps, relative to an Associate's Degree, to (1) Select an entry-level career, (2) Find active job listings, (3) Prepare for the career you chose, and (4) Provide web resources specific to the career you chose.
Step 1: Select a Career: You will be presented with a listing of Associate's Degree entry-level careers. The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of careers below
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover entry-level careers that might be of interest.
Once you have identified a career of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the career you selected. Information includes core and supplemental duties, general and specific work activities, knowledge required, essential and transferable skills required, day-in-the-life summaries, knowledge required, software skills required, preparation required, educational requirements, training and work experience required, local salary information, certifications, professional associations, current job listings for the job selected along with multiple similar job titles, and related careers (related to what they do, what they know, and what they're called).
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that will provide detailed (updated) links to occupational information specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career
Leading Books About Associate Degree Jobs ![]()
What entry level jobs can you get with just an Associate's Degree? Scroll through the picklist (below). These are entry level careers (1 year or less work experience) related to the Associate's Degree level, with at least 30% of job holders having an Associate's Degree. - 426 specific careers are listed. Select those careers that may be of interest - you will then get links to matching active job listings, and detailed resources to help you prepare.
You can use this form two ways:
1) Enter a Keyword - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the listing to those occupations that contain the keyword entered
2) Browse the list (Don't enter a keyword) - You can simply browse the list of occupations. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover jobs that might be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title - Sorted by Annual Salary -(scroll and Select) :
Legend: Career Title Link / (% having Associate's Degree or less) / (% having less than 1 year experience) / (Median Annual U.S. Salary)
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings for: Cooks, Fast Food.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Prepare for the "Cooks, Fast Food" Career
The details below will provide a pathway to your specific job goal and help you to identify an appropriate career ladder.
Description: Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Cooks, Fast Food":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
547,800U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
536,200
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
-11,600 (-2.1%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
77,100
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Check quality of foods or supplies. | |
| Clean food preparation areas, facilities, or equipment. | |
| Cook foods. | |
| Coordinate timing of food production activities. | |
| Measure ingredients. | |
| Mix ingredients. | |
| Order materials, supplies, or equipment. | |
| Prepare breads or doughs. | |
| Prepare foods for cooking or serving. | |
| Prepare hot or cold beverages. | |
| Process customer bills or payments. | |
| Serve food or beverages. | |
| Stock serving stations or dining areas with food or supplies. | |
| Take customer orders. | |
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Transportation: Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. |
| Activity: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures. |
| Activity: Execute financial transactions. |
| Activity: Inspect completed work or finished products. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Prepare foods or beverages. |
| Activity: Prepare mixtures or solutions. |
| Activity: Provide food or beverage services. |
| Activity: Purchase goods or services. |
| Activity: Stock supplies or products. |
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Point of sale POS software: |
| Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro Foodman Home-Delivery Plexis Software Plexis POS RestaurantPlus PRO |
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| 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. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 58.0 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 42.0 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 74.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 21.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Certifications These are examples of certifications that may be important for this occupation. How can you begin exploring which certifications fit your goals and what steps you would need to take to earn them? |
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Certified Fundamentals Cook | |
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated)
This section contains detailed resources appropriate to "Cooks, Fast Food". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Cooks, Fast Food
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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