My Colorado Journey
Back to pathway map
Retail

Food Cooking Machine Operator and Tender

Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.

Annual openings

59

Median wage

$46,900

Typical education

Education not reported

Growth 2026–2032

+7%

Median wage source: Colorado BLS OEWS (2025).

Interactive walkthrough

Explore My Colorado Journey Careers

See where to compare pay, job demand, locations, skills, education, and training for a Colorado career.

Open in a new tab

Career requirements

What does this career require?

Explore education, required qualifications, voluntary credentials and employer preferences for this role. Check the details to see which apply.

Typical education

Education not reported

Credential requirement

Credential requirements not reported

Is this work a fit?

What the work actually feels like

How people in this career tend to spend their time, the interests it draws on, and a look at a typical day.

Work style

The type of work can vary by job and employer.

  • With childrenNo
  • On a computerNo
  • OutdoorsNo
  • With your handsYes

Interests it draws on

  • Manufacturing

Automation exposure

High exposure

Many tasks are repeatable, so technology could reshape the day-to-day over time.

A typical day

  1. Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
  2. Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
  3. Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
  4. Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
  5. Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
  6. Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
Feedback