# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-cooking-machine-operators-and-tenders
- SOC code: 51-3093.00
- Career family: Production
- Median annual pay: $41,590 (10th percentile $31,680, 90th percentile $54,410)
- Projected growth: Little or no change, -0.3%
- Openings a year: 3,700
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 97 |
| Investigative (I) | 16 |
| Artistic (A) | 2 |
| Social (S) | 6 |
| Enterprising (E) | 11 |
| Conventional (C) | 61 |

## What you'd do

- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 80/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 79/100)
- Getting Information (importance 79/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 79/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 78/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 76/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 75/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 74/100)
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information (importance 71/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 66/100)

## Skills

Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Quality Control Analysis

## Knowledge

Production and Processing, Food Production, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Mechanical, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service, Personnel and Human Resources, Chemistry

## Also called

Bakery Fryer, Blanching Machine Operator, Boiler, Brine Maker, Casing Cooker, Chip Fryer, Chocolate Temperer, Coconut Boiler, Confectionery Cooker, Cook Box Filler

## Related careers

- [Food Batchmakers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-batchmakers): $42,290 median pay
- [Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-and-tobacco-roasting-baking-and-drying-machine-operators-and-tenders): $44,810 median pay
- [Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/separating-filtering-clarifying-precipitating-and-still-machine-setters-operators-and): $51,610 median pay
- [Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooling-and-freezing-equipment-operators-and-tenders): $41,330 median pay
- [Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cleaning-washing-and-metal-pickling-equipment-operators-and-tenders): $43,530 median pay
- [Bakers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/bakers): $37,160 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.