What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Cooks, Short Order in the U.S. earn more than $35,880 a year — the middle 80% land between $23,440 and $46,460. About 138,650 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Cooks, Short Order”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Service and sales workers earn about ₹15,575 a month on average — around ₹1.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$35,880typical pay / year
138,650people in this work
$46,460+top 10% earn
₹1.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Keeping the record5
Take customer orders
+Take each incoming customer order at the bar ticket station, repeat the full order back to the server, mark…
Take customer orders
+Take each incoming customer order at the bar ticket station, repeat the full order back to the server, mark any allergies or modifications clearly, route hot items to the sauté station and cold items to the garde manger, and flag rush tickets verbally if service is delayed.
The tools that do the workPlexis Software Plexis POSjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Work with kitchen equipment
+Check each piece of line equipment at shift start for safe operation, note broken seals or low gas/electric…
Work with kitchen equipment
+Check each piece of line equipment at shift start for safe operation, note broken seals or low gas/electric readings, swap in the backup griddle or fryer when a failure appears, and tell the manager immediately if a repair will slow service.
The tools that do the workInventory controljob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Prepare foods to order
+Prepare every ticket to order: call proteins and sides with specified doneness, time grilled items so they…
Prepare foods to order
+Prepare every ticket to order: call proteins and sides with specified doneness, time grilled items so they finish together, plate to the house spec, and alert the expediter if any component will take longer than the promised hold time.
The tools that do the workRestaurantPlus PROjob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Assist with food prep tasks
+Support morning prep by chopping, portioning, and labeling mise en place to the chef’s list, replenish sauce…
Assist with food prep tasks
+Support morning prep by chopping, portioning, and labeling mise en place to the chef’s list, replenish sauce jars and pans to the hot line, and update the prep board when quantities fall below the par levels.
The tools that do the workFoodman Home-DeliveryInventory controljob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Cook a variety of foods quickly
+Execute three ticket runs during dinner rush: prioritize quick-turn items, stagger grill and fryer jobs so…
Cook a variety of foods quickly
+Execute three ticket runs during dinner rush: prioritize quick-turn items, stagger grill and fryer jobs so nothing burns, call for expo help when plating backs up, and take short, silent cues to keep the pass moving.
The tools that do the workAldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Projob descriptionsO*NET
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
The daily work14
Support food safety standards
+Check the prep tables, thermometer logs, and walk-in temps, correct any out-of-range items, label and date…
Support food safety standards
+Check the prep tables, thermometer logs, and walk-in temps, correct any out-of-range items, label and date all batches, then write a brief incident note and alert Maria the kitchen manager before service.
The tools that do the workInventory controljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Collaborate with team members
+Divide stations for the dinner rush with Ana and Jorge, confirm who runs grill, sauté and expo, agree on two…
Collaborate with team members
+Divide stations for the dinner rush with Ana and Jorge, confirm who runs grill, sauté and expo, agree on two hand signals for when you need help, and text a quick heads-up to Maria about coverage gaps.
The tools that do the workPlexis Software Plexis POSjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Follow set procedures and routines
+Run the midday mise en place checklist: restock sauces and pans to the counts on the prep sheet, note any…
Follow set procedures and routines
+Run the midday mise en place checklist: restock sauces and pans to the counts on the prep sheet, note any missing items, and tell Ana before dinner if a routine requires changing.
The tools that do the workInventory controljob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Read and execute orders properly
+Read the incoming tickets aloud, call out modifiers and allergies, prepare the first two orders together with…
Read and execute orders properly
+Read the incoming tickets aloud, call out modifiers and allergies, prepare the first two orders together with the expo, and mark each ticket complete only after the quality check and timer confirmation.
The tools that do the workRestaurantPlus PROjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Take and process customer payments
+Process the customer payment at closing, tally the cash drawer against the day’s bank drops, note any…
Take and process customer payments
+Process the customer payment at closing, tally the cash drawer against the day’s bank drops, note any discrepancies with amounts and reasons, and email the shortfall report to Luis the owner.
The tools that do the workPlexis Software Plexis POSjob descriptions
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Promote human rights
+If a customer raises a rights or service concern, listen without interrupting, offer a sincere apology,…
Promote human rights
+If a customer raises a rights or service concern, listen without interrupting, offer a sincere apology, document their complaint and outcome, and escalate to Maria or Luis if the issue could affect staff safety or discrimination claims.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Demonstrate commitment to democracy
+Draft a short staff memo for the prep team explaining why I’m organizing a voter registration table outside…
Demonstrate commitment to democracy
+Draft a short staff memo for the prep team explaining why I’m organizing a voter registration table outside our shift on Wednesday, list two simple talking points about democratic participation they can use with customers, and include a plan for coverage so dinner service stays covered.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Political parties
+Write a one-page flyer for the kitchen bulletin about the local parties running for city council, summarise…
Political parties
+Write a one-page flyer for the kitchen bulletin about the local parties running for city council, summarise each party’s stance on minimum wage and food safety in one sentence, and note where staff can find unbiased summaries before the November meeting.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Identify electoral violations
+Create a short checklist for line cooks on how to spot and report possible electoral violations: what…
Identify electoral violations
+Create a short checklist for line cooks on how to spot and report possible electoral violations: what suspicious behaviors to note, how to record date and location, who in the local election office to contact, and how to protect themselves from confrontation.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Keep updated on the political landscape
+Scan the morning news brief, pick three reliable stories about local politics that affect wage or health…
Keep updated on the political landscape
+Scan the morning news brief, pick three reliable stories about local politics that affect wage or health rules, summarise each in two lines for the team whiteboard, and pin which story requires manager follow-up before Friday service.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Use communication techniques
+Write three clear talking points for closing service: how to explain a menu change to a guest, how to…
Use communication techniques
+Write three clear talking points for closing service: how to explain a menu change to a guest, how to escalate a complaint calmly to the manager, and a one-line signal to steady the line during rush, then pin them to the prep board.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Handle stressful situations
+Write a short checklist for pressure moments: assign who calls for backup, who finishes current tickets, who…
Handle stressful situations
+Write a short checklist for pressure moments: assign who calls for backup, who finishes current tickets, who plates, and a breathing cue to reset, then run it in tonight's pre-shift huddle and note any breakdowns.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Show impartiality
+Write three neutral phrases to use when customers debate politics at the counter, include how to de-escalate…
Show impartiality
+Write three neutral phrases to use when customers debate politics at the counter, include how to de-escalate and how to redirect back to menu service, and tape them in the cashout area for staff reference.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Report on voting process
+Collect notes on tonight's in-house voting for staff rep: record start and end times, who voted, any…
Report on voting process
+Collect notes on tonight's in-house voting for staff rep: record start and end times, who voted, any disputes, and a one-line summary for the manager, then hand the notes to the manager before closing.
Pasted it? Good. When the reply comes back, push once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part. — Did this prompt help?
Says who?
These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.
Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
The logs, files & records this job keeps
Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
Related careers
Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
The rest of the map
Same library, five ways in.
Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses