Occupation · SOC 51-3093
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.
Median wage
$40,550
$30,540–$54,170
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
27,660
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
0 mapped
Core skills
Operations MonitoringReading ComprehensionMonitoringOperation and ControlCritical ThinkingActive Listening
Knowledge areas
Production and ProcessingFood ProductionAdministration and ManagementEducation and TrainingMechanical
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query software
Representative tasks
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.Remove cooked material or products from equipment.Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.Notify or signal other workers to operate equipment or when processing is complete.Turn valves or start pumps to add ingredients or drain products from equipment and to transfer products for storage, cooling, or further processing.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.Activate agitators and paddles to mix or stir ingredients, stopping machines when ingredients are thoroughly mixed.Operate auxiliary machines and equipment, such as grinders, canners, and molding presses, to prepare or further process products.Place products on conveyors or carts, and monitor product flow.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Cooking and processing equipment — clean, wash, and sterilize using water hoses and approved cleaning solutions under direct supervisor guidance in a food production facility.Work orders and basic recipes — read and interpret to identify required cooking times, temperatures, and ingredient specifications with close supervision on the production floor.Ingredient weights and volumes — measure and weigh accurately using scales and measuring containers following established formulas in a supervised batch-production setting.Kettles, cookers, and vats — tend and monitor under direction to ensure ingredients are processed according to posted operating procedures in a food manufacturing plant.Temperature and pressure gauges — observe and report readings to a supervisor when values fall outside expected ranges during routine cooking operations.Machine start-up sequences — set basic temperature, pressure, and time controls and start conveyers or pumps following step-by-step written instructions on the production line.Cooked or processed materials — remove from equipment safely and transfer to designated staging areas following established handling protocols under direct oversight.Basic production data — record cooking times, batch numbers, and temperature readings on paper logs or standard forms as directed by a lead operator.Personal protective equipment and food-safety rules — apply consistently when entering cooking or processing areas in compliance with facility hygiene standards.Oral instructions from supervisors and lead operators — listen actively and confirm understanding before performing assigned cooking machine tasks on the production floor.
developing
Cleaning and sterilization schedules — execute independently for kettles, vats, and associated cooking areas, verifying sanitation effectiveness before resuming production operations.Recipes and production formulas — read and translate into correct equipment settings with minimal oversight, adjusting for batch size variations in a mid-volume food processing environment.Ingredient measurement processes — carry out consistently and accurately across multiple product types using calibrated scales and measuring containers during routine production shifts.Cooking equipment controls — operate and adjust temperatures, pressures, and ingredient flow rates to maintain product quality standards throughout a full production run.Gauge and dial readings — monitor continuously during ongoing batch processing and make minor control adjustments to keep parameters within specified tolerance ranges.Production and test records — complete accurately in database or paper-based tracking systems, including processing steps, steam readings, and quality test results for each batch.Equipment start-up and shutdown procedures — perform reliably for cookers, boilers, and conveyer systems in accordance with facility safety and operational protocols.Cooked product removal and transfer — manage efficiently and hygienically across consecutive batches, maintaining product integrity and line flow during a standard work shift.Minor process deviations — identify and respond to using practiced troubleshooting steps, escalating unresolved issues to a senior operator or supervisor when appropriate.Incoming ingredients and finished product characteristics — inspect visually and compare against specification sheets to confirm suitability before and after cooking operations.
proficient
Full cooking and processing equipment systems — operate, monitor, and control autonomously including kettles, boilers, vats, and pumps across varied product lines in a high-volume food manufacturing plant.Complex recipes and multi-step production formulas — interpret and execute independently, resolving specification ambiguities and adapting processes to non-standard ingredient batches.Critical control points and food-safety parameters — monitor with sustained selective attention and implement corrective actions to prevent product loss or safety failures during continuous operations.Process control adjustments — apply precise manual and automated interventions to temperature, pressure, and flow variables in response to real-time product characteristic changes.Detailed production logs and batch records — maintain accurately in database systems, ensuring data integrity and traceability for regulatory compliance and quality audits.Equipment malfunctions and process anomalies — diagnose using systematic critical thinking and mechanical knowledge, minimizing downtime and product waste on the production floor.Cleaning-in-place and deep-sanitation procedures — lead for complex cooking systems, verifying sterilization outcomes and documenting results to meet food-safety standards.New product trials and recipe scale-ups — support by configuring equipment settings, monitoring trial batches, and providing technical observations to production management.Ingredient quality and finished product consistency — evaluate across full shift output, identifying trends that signal upstream supply or downstream processing issues.Workplace safety hazards specific to high-temperature and pressurized cooking environments — recognize, report, and address proactively to protect co-workers and maintain regulatory compliance.
advanced
Production department cooking processes — set operational standards and continuous-improvement targets, directing teams of machine operators and tenders across multiple lines in a large food manufacturing facility.Training programs for new and developing operators — design and deliver covering equipment operation, food-safety protocols, recipe interpretation, and record-keeping in alignment with Job Zone 2 skill development needs.Cooking and processing equipment upgrade decisions — lead by evaluating mechanical capabilities, production throughput requirements, and cost-benefit data to inform capital investment recommendations.Cross-functional quality and safety initiatives — champion by collaborating with quality assurance, maintenance, and management teams to embed best practices into standard operating procedures plant-wide.Production KPIs including batch yield, equipment uptime, and waste metrics — analyze using database reporting tools and direct corrective strategies to achieve organizational efficiency goals.Regulatory and food-safety audit preparations — oversee by ensuring all production logs, sanitation records, and process documentation meet internal and external compliance requirements.Ingredient sourcing and processing specification changes — evaluate and authorize in coordination with procurement and R&D, assessing impact on cooking parameters and final product quality.Incident investigations involving equipment failures or food-safety deviations — lead root-cause analyses, implement corrective actions, and communicate findings to plant leadership.Operator scheduling and workflow coordination — manage across production shifts to balance line throughput, maintain staffing continuity, and meet customer order fulfillment targets.Organizational culture of dependability, integrity, and attention to detail — model and reinforce among all cooking operations staff through consistent coaching, performance feedback, and recognition practices.
Also known as
117 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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