The median pay for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders is $41,590 a year ($20.00/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.3% through 2035, with about 3,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-3093
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender in four numbers
- Median pay
- $41,590a year, or $20.00/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $32KTop 10% $54K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.3%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,70031,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202531.2K
- Projected 203531.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 31.2K Projected 2035 31.2K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school0.1%
- High school85.9%
- Certificate14%
- Some college0.1%
Highest education held by food cooking machine operators and tenders Segment Value Less than high school 0.1% High school 85.9% Certificate 14% Some college 0.1%
Also advertised as: Cooker Operator, Food Production Worker, Fryer Operator, Kettle Fry Cook Operator, Machine Operator, Mogul Operator.
Pay
How much do Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders make?
Every food cooking machine operator and tender in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$41,590
Middle half earn $36,190 to $47,380
- 10th
- $31,680
- 25th
- $36,190
- 75th
- $47,380
- 90th
- $54,410
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $31,680 |
| 25th | $36,190 |
| Median | $41,590 |
| 75th | $47,380 |
| 90th | $54,410 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $41,590
- Median hourly wage
- $20.00/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $42,570
- People employed
- 31,250
Versus all US occupations
At $41,590, Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earn 18% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,390 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 13% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $54,410 or more while the bottom 10% earn $31,680, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 9% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($51,100), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $54,579 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $51,100 | $47,751 | 310 |
| 2Utah | $48,620 | $49,179 | 390 |
| 3Massachusetts | $47,960 | $45,349 | 170 |
| 4Iowa | $47,900 | $54,579 | 850 |
| 5Michigan | $47,260 | $49,118 | 380 |
| 6Minnesota | $47,250 | $47,911 | 1,410 |
| 7Colorado | $46,900 | $45,511 | 300 |
| 8Kansas | $45,850 | $50,906 | 750 |
| 9New York | $45,680 | $42,327 | 1,300 |
| 10Tennessee | $45,620 | $49,657 | 1,820 |
Job outlook
Is Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | −0.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders to change -0.3% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,700 openings are projected each year, 11.9% of the 31,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of food processing equipment workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of food processing equipment workers varies by occupation (see table).
Population growth and continuing consumer preference for convenience foods are expected to drive the demand for food, which will in turn require more food processing workers to produce it.
Getting in
How to become a Food Cooking Machine Operator and 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. Food processing equipment workers usually learn their skills through on-the-job training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as food cooking machine operators and tenders.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)85.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate14%
- Less than a High School Diploma0.1%
- Some College Courses0.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 85.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 14% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 0.1% |
| Some College Courses | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender do?
Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products.
Day-to-day 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.
- Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
- Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.
- Remove cooked material or products from equipment.
- Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
- Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most food processing equipment workers are employed full time; part-time work may be common for food cooking machine operators and tenders. Because of production schedules, shift work is common and may include early mornings, evenings, or nights.
Some food processing positions are seasonal.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Writing2.8
- Speaking2.6
- Active Learning2.6
- Learning Strategies2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 2.6 |
| Active Learning | 2.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.5
- Operation and Control3.1
- Coordination2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.6
- Time Management2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.6 |
| Time Management | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.8
- Conventional4.7
- Investigative2.0
- Enterprising1.7
- Social1.3
- Artistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender
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More production careers
Median annual pay, with food cooking machine operators and tenders highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender$41,590
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender | $41,590 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender appears on
Questions
Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender: frequently asked questions
How much do Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders make?
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earn a median of $41,590 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 18% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $20.00/hr. The middle half earn between $36,190 and $47,380. The top 10% earn $54,410 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 85.9% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.3% over 2025–2035, a loss of 100 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender do?
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products. A core O*NET task: clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
Which states pay Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders the most?
The highest state medians for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders are Washington ($51,100), Utah ($48,620), Massachusetts ($47,960) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $54,579.
What personality type suits a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender?
O*NET scores Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.