McDonald’s is one of the most prominent fast-food restaurants globally and is always hiring, with a cook being one job position you can apply for, but do you know what a cook does?
I’ve looked into it, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about being a McDonald’s cook, including the job duties and other essential details!
Key Takeaways
McDonald’s Cook In 2022
A McDonald’s cook is responsible for preparing the food at McDonald’s and regularly operates the grill, deep-fat fryer, and griddle as of 2022. Proper food handling is required for this job, and cleaning workstations regularly to ensure food safety is a top priority. Also, cooks at McDonald’s cut and wash food and stock or restock throughout their shift.
Do you want to know even more about becoming a McDonald’s cook, such as the pay and whether it’s a good job? Keep reading because I’ll answer all that and more!
What Does A Cook Do At McDonald’s?
The cook at McDonald’s prepares all of the food quickly and properly according to food safety requirements and the needs of each customer.
Additionally, a cook lets the staff know when each order is ready and ensures the grill is cleaned and maintained before, during, and after each shift.
Also, a McDonald’s cook has several other responsibilities and job duties, including:
- Maintain sanitation and safety standards for the grill areas throughout the day
- Operate the grill, griddle, and deep-fat fryer as safely and quickly as possible
- Clean surfaces, grills, utensils, and other supplies in the cooking section
- Prepare food per company policy, including assuring quality and fresh ingredients
- Wash and cut food as required by McDonald’s
- Proper food preparation, such as measuring amounts of each ingredient needed
- Read food order slips and take verbal food order requests and modifications
- Follow all recipes for food and package food properly for customers
- Stock the cook station and restock throughout the day as needed
- Be able to run the cash register and take customer orders
How Much Does A Cook At McDonald’s Make?
A cook at McDonald’s makes anywhere between $11 to $14 an hour, although it can vary depending on the store’s location and size.
For example, some locations pay as low as $9 an hour for a cook, so it’s essential to check out your local restaurant for more details on the pay.
Additionally, most McDonald’s restaurants are franchised, meaning the franchise owner can choose the pay rate for the jobs at their store.
Is Being A McDonald’s Cook A Good Job?
Employees have rated being a cook at McDonald’s as a decent job, which means it’s not great but also not horrible.
That said, it’s a very fast-paced job, and you’re working in a hot environment, which employees have said can be overwhelming.
Additionally, the pay could be better for the work that a cook does at McDonald’s, but the wage is decent given the skills needed and general job duties.
Still, some employees have said that being busy was great since it makes the day go by quicker, and co-workers are quick to help out when needed.
What Hours Does A Cook At McDonald’s Work?
As a cook at McDonald’s, you can expect to work between 35 and 40 hours per week if you’re full-time, whereas part-time is anywhere from eight to 25 hours per week.
However, the hours might depend on the needs of that particular McDonald’s, meaning you might work more or fewer hours as a cook each week.
Moreover, what’s great about McDonald’s is that it’s very flexible when it comes to employees and scheduling, so you can pick and choose what type of work week you’d like.
What Skills Do You Need To Be A Cook At McDonald’s?
To be successful as a McDonald’s cook, there are specific skills and qualities you should possess, including:
- Stamina to stand for hours every day
- Ability to withstand the heat from working on the grill and griddle for hours
- Basic food preparation knowledge (how to measure ingredients, make portions, use a weight scale, and proper food safety)
- Know how to operate kitchen equipment
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management skills
- Have customer service skills and the ability to adjust or modify menu items according to customer needs or requests
- High school diploma or GED
- Physical strength (to a certain extent, as the job requires lifting some heavy objects)
If you want to know more, you can also see our posts on McDonald’s break policy, McDonald’s termination policy, and what is McDonald’s orientation.
Conclusion
A McDonald’s cook is someone who runs the grill, griddle, and deep fryer constantly and has to know how to operate the kitchen equipment safely and efficiently.
Additionally, a cook prepares the food to the McDonald’s specifications, meaning knowing how to portion ingredients, cut food products, and cook all foods.
Further, the pay can be between $8 and $14 an hour, with the average being $11 an hour, although that number can be higher or lower depending on the franchise owner.
While being a cook might seem like a horrible job, it’s rated by employees of McDonald’s as being decent since you have a team of employees around to help you.
On top of that, being a cook makes the day go by quicker since you’re busy, and there isn’t much downtime unless you work the overnight shift.