Cooks, Short Order
Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.
AI Impact Summary
Cooks, Short Order faces moderate AI displacement risk with a score of 34/100. This occupation has higher AI displacement risk than 61% of all analyzed occupations. Of 11 analyzed tasks, 3 are highly automatable, particularly routine cognitive tasks. Strong protective factors — including social intelligence, creativity, or regulatory barriers — significantly reduce effective risk.
Skill Impact Analysis
AI-Vulnerable Skills (6)
Reading Comprehension is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Information Ordering is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Memorization is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Programming is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
AI-Resistant Skills (11)
Adaptability/Flexibility is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Leadership is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Service Orientation is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Coordination is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Manual Dexterity is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Social Perceptiveness is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Complex Problem Solving is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Persuasion is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
AI-Augmented Skills (7)
Recommended Courses
Courses matched to Cooks, Short Order skill gaps, ranked by relevance to your displacement risk profile.
Get personalized recommendations. Answer a few questions about your experience and skills to get course suggestions tailored specifically to you.
Upskill to Reduce Risk
Courses addressing your most AI-vulnerable skills
Google Technical Writing
by Google
Estimated Impact
AI-Augmentation Tools
Learn to work alongside AI and boost your productivity
Google UX Design Professional Certificate
by Google
Estimated Impact
Strengthen Your Edge
Double down on skills AI can't replicate
Leading People and Teams Specialization
by University of Michigan
Estimated Impact
We may earn a commission when you enroll through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the Takeover Tracker.
Risk reduction and salary impact are estimates based on skill gap analysis, course relevance, and labor market data. Actual results vary by individual circumstance.
Education & Training
Percentage of workers at each education and training level
Education Level
Prior Experience Needed
Work experience required to enter this job
Training Provided After Hiring
How long it typically takes to learn on the job
How AI Impacts Each Task
11 tasks analyzed
Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
Order supplies and stock them on shelves.
Accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary.
| Task | AI Capability | Risk | Time % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables. | 25Estimated | 43.0% | 8% | |
| Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea. | 45Estimated | 51.0% | 15% | |
| Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas. | 40Estimated | 49.0% | 5% | |
| Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers. | 35Estimated | 47.0% | 5% | |
| Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes. | 57.15Observed | 31.9% | 15% | |
| Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time. | 62.88Observed | 74.4% | 7% | |
| Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements. | 52.5Observed | 36.0% | 10% | |
| Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops. | 30Estimated | 21.0% | 15% | |
| Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters. | 50Estimated | 53.0% | 10% | |
| Order supplies and stock them on shelves. | 65Estimated | 75.2% | 5% | |
| Accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary. | 97Estimated | 88.0% | 5% |
Protective Factors
Total protective discount: 26.7%
Essential Soft Skills
Traits that are hard for AI to replicate
Wage & Employment (2024)
Median Wage
$35,620
per year
Mean Wage
$35,660
per year
Employment
150K
workers
Wage Range
$23,770 - $46,010
10th - 90th pct
Wage Distribution
Explore other career paths
Compare displacement risk across occupations and find careers with stronger long-term prospects.
Alternate Career Paths
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Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
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Food Preparation Workers
37%Median salary: $34,220
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Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
38%Median salary: $37,700
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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop
40%Median salary: $30,380
Higher risk than 79% of other occupations
Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
43%Higher risk than 89% of other occupations
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
44%Median salary: $34,460
Higher risk than 90% of other occupations
Cooks, Fast Food
46%Median salary: $30,160
Higher risk than 93% of other occupations
Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop
47%Higher risk than 94% of other occupations
Sales Managers
25%Higher risk than 20% of other occupations
Chief Executives
26%Higher risk than 23% of other occupations
General and Operations Managers
28%Higher risk than 29% of other occupations
Marketing Managers
30%Higher risk than 38% of other occupations
Advertising and Promotions Managers
31%Higher risk than 43% of other occupations
Computer and Information Systems Managers
31%Higher risk than 45% of other occupations
Recommendations
Skills to Develop
These skills are at risk from AI automation. Cooks, Short Order professionals should diversify beyond them.
- Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Mathematics
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Information Ordering
Information Ordering is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Memorization
Memorization is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
- Mathematics
Mathematics is AI-vulnerable but has moderate importance in this role. AI tools may handle this; focus on higher-value skills.
Skills to Leverage
These human-centric skills remain difficult for AI to replicate. Double down here.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Adaptability/Flexibility is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Leadership
Leadership is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Service Orientation
Service Orientation is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Coordination
Coordination is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
- Manual Dexterity
Manual Dexterity is AI-resistant — strengthening this skill provides durable career protection.
Tools to Adopt
AI can amplify these skills. Learn the tools that augment rather than replace your work.
- Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Monitoring
Monitoring will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Active Learning
Active Learning will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Judgment and Decision Making
Judgment and Decision Making will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
- Writing
Writing will be enhanced by AI. Develop expertise in using AI tools for this skill to increase productivity.
Score History
Risk score over 2 scoring runs
overall change
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