Fast Food and Counter Workers
What they do
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About fast food and counter workers
Other titles
Cafe Server, Cafeteria Server, Concession Cashier, Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker), Food Server, Food Service Aide, Food Service Assistant, Food Service Worker, School Cafeteria Cook, Snack Bar Attendant
Tasks they perform
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
Skills they need
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as fast food and counter workers.
Food Preparation Workers
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Cooks, Short Order
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Cooks, Restaurant
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about fast food and counter workers with these helpful sites.
- International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (external link opens new tab)
- National Restaurant Association (external link opens new tab)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Food and beverage serving and related workers (external link opens new tab)
- School Nutrition Association (external link opens new tab)