Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
SOC code 51-3093 · O*NET-SOC 51-3093.00 · Little to some preparation needed · Manufacturing and production
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$41,590
a year
Hourly
$20.00
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$42,570
$20.47 per hour
Middle 50%
$36,190 – $47,380
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$31,680 – $54,410
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
31,250
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $31,680
- $15.23/hr
- 25th percentile
- $36,190
- $17.40/hr
- Median percentile
- $41,590
- $20.00/hr
- 75th percentile
- $47,380
- $22.78/hr
- 90th percentile
- $54,410
- $26.16/hr
What do food cooking machine operators and tenders do?
Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- 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.
- Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
- Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
- Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
- Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
- Activate agitators and paddles to mix or stir ingredients, stopping machines when ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged) — 86% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 2 — Little to some preparation needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)86%
- Post-Secondary Certificate14%
- Less than a High School Diploma0%
- Some College Courses0%
Common questions
How much does a food cooking machine operators and tenders earn?
The national median is $41,590 a year. The full range runs from $31,680 at the 10th percentile to $54,410 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a food cooking machine operators and tenders without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 2, meaning the typical entry route is usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Writing2.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing4.3/5
- Food Production3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.3/5
- Education and Training3.1/5
- Mechanical3.1/5
- English Language2.8/5
- Computers and Electronics2.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service2.6/5
Transferable strengths: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis.