SpongeBob SquarePants is known for being the fry cook of the Krusty Krab, but that hasn’t been the only job he has had throughout the show. SpongeBob SquarePants has earned a place in the hearts of kids and adults, becoming the most successful Nicktoon to date as well as one of the longest-running animated TV shows. The series, created by Stephen Hillenburg, debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and has been unstoppable ever since, even expanding to other media, most notably film and streaming.
SpongeBob SquarePants follows the title character and his closest friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. From the beginning, the series made sure the audience knew the basics about good old SpongeBob, with the pilot episode covering his job interview at the Krusty Krab, marking the beginning of his career as a fry cook. SpongeBob has perfected his cooking abilities (although they are mostly limited to Krabby Patties) through the years, and while this is the ideal job for him, he has also had other jobs both inside and outside the Krusty Krab – some of them didn’t last for long, and a couple of them were side jobs rather than a replacement for his job as a fry cook.
First off, SpongeBob has had minor, side jobs that were mostly for fun, as were his classes on how to blow a bubble (for 25 cents) in the episode “Bubblestand”, when he became a hotel employee when the Krusty Krab was turned into a hotel, when he and Patrick painted Mr. Krabs’ home, and when the two friends decided to sell chocolate bars with the purpose of becoming entrepreneurs so they could achieve a fancy lifestyle. Although his main job at the Krusty Krab is that of the fry cook, he also works there as a janitor, cashier, and even manager, mostly doing all those chores that Squidward doesn’t, bringing some balance to the restaurant: Squidward is lazy and his job bores him, while SpongeBob is a workaholic and always willing to help.
SpongeBob once led one of the biggest threats the Krusty Krab has faced: the Pretty Patties. SpongeBob created colorful Krabby Patties and opened his own store, but he left the business to Mr. Krabs who in exchange gave him the keys to the Krusty Krab. SpongeBob was once the cook at the restaurant Fancy! when Mr. Krabs put him into a chef exchange program, but SpongeBob only knew how to cook Krabby Patties, which all the rich customers at Fancy! loved, so he ended up bringing more customers to the Krusty Krab, and he once worked at the Chum Bucket as well, but that didn’t end well as he failed to do anything right. Last but not least, when SpongeBob was fired from the Krusty Krab in the episode appropriately titled “SpongeBob You’re Fired”, he briefly worked at the Weenie Hut, Pizza Piehole, Taco Sombrero, and Wet Noodle.
Ultimately, SpongeBob always ends up returning to his position as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, where he does what he loves – and what Mr. Krabs also loves, as having SpongeBob on board is not only cheap but brings back a lot more money. It's highly unlikely SpongeBob SquarePants will give its title character a different job at some point, but he will surely continue having side jobs in the future.