Jobs Similar to Cooks (Fast Food)
The careers below use the most similar skills, knowledge and work activities to cooks (fast food), according to O*NET 31.0. The closest are Cooks (Restaurant), Food Preparation Workers and Butchers and Meat Cutters.
Cooks (Fast Food): $30,890 median pay · usual preparation: High school.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
The 20 most similar careers
| # | Career | Similarity | Median pay (vs. Cooks (Fast Food)) | Usual preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooks, RestaurantSame group | 82% | $37,390+21% | High school |
| 2 | Food Preparation WorkersSame group | 81% | $35,320+14% | High school |
| 3 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | 81% | $40,140+30% | High school |
| 4 | Cooks, Short OrderSame group | 81% | $35,880+16% | High school |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaSame group | 80% | $37,450+21% | High school |
| 6 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | 79% | $31,200+1% | High school |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 78% | $35,360+14% | High school |
| 8 | Baristas | 77% | $31,200Broader BLS group · not compared | High school |
| 9 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 77% | $33,980+10% | High school |
| 10 | Bakers | 76% | $37,160+20% | High school |
| 11 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 76% | $37,330+21% | High school |
| 12 | Driver/Sales Workers | 75% | $38,770+26% | High school |
| 13 | Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 74% | $35,510+15% | High school |
| 14 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 74% | $40,130+30% | High school |
| 15 | Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 73% | $35,730+16% | High school |
| 16 | Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 73% | $38,300+24% | High school |
| 17 | Parking Attendants | 73% | $35,150+14% | High school |
| 18 | Chefs and Head Cooks | 72% | $62,470+102% | Training or associate |
| 19 | Cooks, Private HouseholdSame group | 72% | $47,940+55% | Training or associate |
| 20 | Bartenders | 72% | $34,340+11% | High school |
- 1Cooks, Restaurant
82% similar · $37,390 (+21%) · High school · Same group
- 2Food Preparation Workers
81% similar · $35,320 (+14%) · High school · Same group
- 3Butchers and Meat Cutters
81% similar · $40,140 (+30%) · High school
- 4Cooks, Short Order
81% similar · $35,880 (+16%) · High school · Same group
- 5Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
80% similar · $37,450 (+21%) · High school · Same group
- 6Fast Food and Counter Workers
79% similar · $31,200 (+1%) · High school
- 7Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
78% similar · $35,360 (+14%) · High school
- 8Baristas
77% similar · $31,200 (broader group) · High school
- 9Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
77% similar · $33,980 (+10%) · High school
- 10Bakers
76% similar · $37,160 (+20%) · High school
- 11Stockers and Order Fillers
76% similar · $37,330 (+21%) · High school
- 12Driver/Sales Workers
75% similar · $38,770 (+26%) · High school
- 13Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
74% similar · $35,510 (+15%) · High school
- 14Slaughterers and Meat Packers
74% similar · $40,130 (+30%) · High school
- 15Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products
73% similar · $35,730 (+16%) · High school
- 16Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
73% similar · $38,300 (+24%) · High school
- 17Parking Attendants
73% similar · $35,150 (+14%) · High school
- 18Chefs and Head Cooks
72% similar · $62,470 (+102%) · Training or associate
- 19Cooks, Private Household
72% similar · $47,940 (+55%) · Training or associate · Same group
- 20Bartenders
72% similar · $34,340 (+11%) · High school
Similarity: weighted correlation of O*NET 31.0 transferable skills (35%), knowledge (25%), work activities (15%) and interests (15%). Pay and schooling do not change it. Pay change compares BLS May 2025 national medians; careers with only a broader BLS group wage are not compared. “Same group”: the same BLS occupation group (SOC minor group). Methodology
Similar jobs that pay more
Only careers that usually need no more preparation than cooks (fast food).
- Butchers and Meat Cutters81% similar · $40,140 (+30%)
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers74% similar · $40,130 (+30%)
- Driver/Sales Workers75% similar · $38,770 (+26%)
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers73% similar · $38,300 (+24%)
- Cooks, Restaurant82% similar · $37,390 (+21%)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria80% similar · $37,450 (+21%)
Thinking of a career change?
Similar is not the same as a good next step. Our career-change list for cooks (fast food) also weighs pay drops and extra schooling, and puts jobs outside the field first.
Jobs that can lead here
Careers where cooks (fast food) is one of the best career-change matches (match score in brackets).
Questions about jobs like cooks (fast food)
What jobs are most similar to cooks (fast food)?
By O*NET 31.0 data, the closest are Cooks (Restaurant) (82% similar), Food Preparation Workers (81% similar), Butchers and Meat Cutters (81% similar), Cooks (Short Order) (81% similar) and Cooks (Institution and Cafeteria) (80% similar).
Which jobs like cooks (fast food) pay more?
Among the 20 most similar careers, Chefs and Head Cooks ($62,470, +102%; usually training or an associate degree), Cooks (Private Household) ($47,940, +55%; usually training or an associate degree) and Butchers and Meat Cutters ($40,140, +30%; usually a high school diploma) have the highest BLS median pay compared with cooks (fast food) ($30,890). Without more preparation than cooks (fast food) usually need: Butchers and Meat Cutters, Slaughterers and Meat Packers and Driver/Sales Workers.
How is the similarity percentage worked out?
We compare how important each transferable skill, knowledge area, work activity and interest area is in both jobs (O*NET 31.0 ratings) with a weighted correlation. 100% would mean the same profile. Unlike our career-change matches, pay and extra schooling do not lower the similarity on this page.