Food Processing Workers

How to become a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender

Official title: Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

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

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

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Education requirements vary for food processing equipment workers. Some typically need no formal education credential; however, others typically need a high school diploma or equivalent.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $41,590 a year The middle half earn $36,190 to $47,380.
About 31,200 people work in this job now, and about 31,200 are projected by 2035. (-0.3%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender?

Education requirements vary for food processing equipment workers. Some typically need no formal education credential; however, others typically need a high school diploma or equivalent.

How much does a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $41,590 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $36,190 to $47,380.

Is a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 31,200 people now and 31,200 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Food Cooking Machine Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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.