Careers / Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$37,450
United States, 2025
Employment
441,050
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
- O*NET code
- 35-2012.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$28,480
25th percentile
$32,440
75th percentile
$44,800
90th percentile
$49,670
Most important skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Management of Personnel Resources3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Active Listening3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | 2.5 | Not selected | 2.5 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 2.4 | Not selected | 2.4 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | $55,400 | 250 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $51,880 | 2,640 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $51,620 | 240 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $51,530 | 5,380 | 2025 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $49,720 | 170 | 2025 |
| WA | $49,670 | 9,780 | 2025 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $49,340 | 170 | 2025 |
| Bellingham, WA | $49,320 | 250 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $49,280 | 240 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $49,140 | 4,280 | 2025 |
| Olympia, WA | $48,820 | 290 | 2025 |
| AK | $48,580 | 1,430 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $48,530 | 5,310 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $48,290 | 530 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $48,210 | 430 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $48,060 | 130 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $48,020 | 820 | 2025 |
| MA | $47,790 | 7,430 | 2025 |
| HI | $47,770 | 1,570 | 2025 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $47,740 | 170 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.