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Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

General Information

Description

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

Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. Private, for profit95.85%
  2. Private, not for profit3.06%
  3. Self-employed1.08%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Manufacturing

Job Outlook

Projected Job Growth (2022 - 2032)
+6%
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Job Outlook

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Overall employment of food processing equipment workers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 39,900 openings for food processing equipment workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. 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.

Similar Careers

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Salary

Salary Information

Median Salary This is the median, or the midpoint, of the salary range for this career.

$36,700

State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

Salary Range Salary varies based on years of experience, degree level and location.

$17,680
$46,420
No Information for this section

Education & Interests

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • High school 85%
  • Post-secondary certificate 13%
  • Some college 0%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Bachelor's degree 0%
  • Associate's degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

  • Realistic — You have an interest in physically working with equipment, materials or structures.
  • Conventional — You have an interest in following procedures and regulations to organize information or data.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership

Knowledge

  • Production and Processing
  • Food Production
  • Mechanical
  • Administration and Management
  • Education and Training

Gain insights into your knowledge by using the ASVAB Career Exploration Program

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.