Occupations · Food Preparation and Serving
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 35-2012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 99% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $46,370 | 15,130 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $38,010 | 13,900 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $35,630 | 9,350 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $39,070 | 9,130 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,860 | 8,760 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $33,590 | 7,470 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $36,250 | 6,000 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $42,430 | 5,940 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,290 | 5,740 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $35,280 | 5,560 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,910 | 5,460 |
| San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR | $25,270 | 5,060 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: No formal educational credential · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Monitor use of government food commodities to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
- Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals.
- Plan menus that are varied, nutritionally balanced, and appetizing, taking advantage of foods in season and local availability.
- Monitor menus and spending to ensure that meals are prepared economically.
- Compile and maintain records of food use and expenditures.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2019-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2019-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure safety of food.
- Rotate and store food supplies.
O*NET 23.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
No longer listed 4
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| diet cook | 5120.1.1 | close |
| head chef | 3434.1.1 | close |
| industrial cook | 5120.1.4 | close |
| chef | 3434.1 | close |
| private chef | 3434.1.3 | close |
| fish cook | 5120.1.2 | broader |
| pizzaiolo | 9411.1 | broader |
| grill cook | 5120.1.3 | broader |
| cook | 5120.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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