Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
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.
Table of contents
What they do
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.
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
- Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
- Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
- Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Food Cooking Machine Operators read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications. They admit required amounts of water, steam, cooking oils, or compressed air into equipment, such as by opening water valves to cool mixtures to the desired consistency.
A typical day for a Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender will also include:
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
- Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
- Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
- Notify or signal other workers to operate equipment or when processing is complete.
- Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Food Cooking Machine Operators also operate auxiliary machines and equipment, such as grinders, canners, and molding presses, to prepare or further process products. They may also listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment, and notify supervisors when necessary.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Food Cooking Machine Operators clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses. They might also pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
In addition, they activate agitators and paddles to mix or stir ingredients, stopping machines when ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them turn valves or start pumps to add ingredients or drain products from equipment and to transfer products for storage, cooling, or further processing.
To some Food Cooking Machine Operators, it is also their responsibility to set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
61% said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they found their job meaningful.
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
Demand for this career is not growing.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $23,070 to $27,080 per year or $11 to $13 per hour.
Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
---|---|---|
Highest (Top 10%) | $48,330 | $23 |
Senior (Top 25%) | $39,670 | $19 |
Median | $33,010 | $16 |
Junior (Bottom 25%) | $27,080 | $13 |
No experience (Bottom 10%) | $23,070 | $11 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders based on their average annual salary.
Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
---|---|---|
Grain and Oilseed Milling | $47420 | $22.80 |
Dairy Product Manufacturing | $39180 | $18.84 |
Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | $37480 | $18.02 |
Rubber Product Manufacturing | $35680 | $17.16 |
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $35180 | $16.91 |
Other Food Manufacturing | $35040 | $16.84 |
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $34640 | $16.66 |
Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $32680 | $15.71 |
Employment Services | $30620 | $14.72 |
Food and Beverage Stores | $29080 | $13.98 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders including the average salary in that industry.
Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
---|---|---|---|
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6060 | $35180 | $16.91 |
Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 4530 | $32680 | $15.71 |
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4030 | $34640 | $16.66 |
Other Food Manufacturing | 3820 | $35040 | $16.84 |
Dairy Product Manufacturing | 1660 | $39180 | $18.84 |
Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1550 | $37480 | $18.02 |
Food and Beverage Stores | 1230 | $29080 | $13.98 |
Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 1180 | $29030 | $13.96 |
Employment Services | 710 | $30620 | $14.72 |
Grain and Oilseed Milling | 200 | $47420 | $22.80 |
What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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