Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
US occupation · SOC 35-2012
Job titles people report: Cafeteria Cook, Cook, Dietary Cook, Dinner Cook, Food Service Specialist, Food Service Worker, Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook), School Cook, Sous Chef
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $37,450
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $32,440 – $44,800
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 441,050
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- +2.8%
- Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 62,900
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- No formal educational credential
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Main tasks
- Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety.
- Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.
- Rotate and store food supplies.
- Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment.
- Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.
- Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
- Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry.
- Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- No formal educational credential
- Training once hired: short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 1–2
- Little to some preparation
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Social: helping, teaching and caring for people
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 4 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer these fields as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for them here.
Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services
- Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
- Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant
- Institutional Food Workers
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Cooks, Restaurant
$37,390 median · +12.1% projected
- Cooks, Private Household
$47,940 median · +5.1% projected
- Chefs and Head Cooks
$62,470 median · +6.6% projected
- Bakers
$37,160 median · +5.5% projected
- Food Service Managers
$69,390 median · +5.8% projected
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
$44,080 median · +5.4% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk