Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Hospitality and TourismO*NET 35-2012.00United States
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
- Median annual earnings
- $37,361
- Projected change
- +5.7%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 468.53K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
73.1% of the workforce
Growing to 495.39K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What cooks, institution and cafeteria do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment.
- Rotate and store food supplies.
- Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
- Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.
- Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry.
- Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals.
- Train new employees.
- Take inventory of supplies and equipment.
- Requisition food supplies, kitchen equipment, and appliances, based on estimates of future needs.
- Bake breads, rolls, or other pastries.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $28,246
- 25th percentile
- $32,267
- 50th percentile
- $37,361
- 75th percentile
- $44,800
- 90th percentile
- $50,050
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $37,361 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+5.7%average or slower
2025468,529 jobs
2035 projected495,390 jobs
26,861 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 73.1%
- Certificate
- 14.2%
- Bachelor's degree
- 6.8%
- Some college
- 5.9%
- Associate degree
- 0.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- 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.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- 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.
- 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.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Dietary Cooks2,754 postings
- 02Cafeteria Cooks327 postings
- 03Cooks/Dietary Aides222 postings
- 04Camp Cooks78 postings
- 05Summer Camp Coordinators51 postings
- 06Campus Managers31 postings
- 07Summer Camp Assistants31 postings
- 08Cafeteria Staff28 postings
- 09Institutional Sales Representatives24 postings
- 10Skilled Nursing Facility Registered Nurses22 postings
- 11Campus Directors21 postings
- 12Cooks/Caterers20 postings
- 13Cooks18 postings
- 14Breakfast Cooks17 postings
- 15Cafeteria Employees17 postings
- 16Prep Cooks16 postings
- 17Dietary Associates14 postings
- 18Dietary Managers13 postings
- 19Cooks/Bakers11 postings
- 20Auxiliaries10 postings
Top employers
- 01Healthcare Services Group283 postings
- 02Creative Solutions In Healthcare72 postings
- 03Villas Of Holly Brook49 postings
- 04Encompass Health45 postings
- 05Sevita43 postings
- 06Aramark38 postings
- 07Magnolia Health Systems32 postings
- 08Providence32 postings
- 09Aerotek29 postings
- 10Care-One29 postings
- 11YMCA29 postings
- 12Generations Healthcare26 postings
- 13Baptist Health South Florida23 postings
- 14Sodexo23 postings
- 15Hilton21 postings
- 16SAGE Dining Services21 postings
- 17Careone20 postings
- 18NANA Regional Corporation20 postings
- 19Uhs19 postings
- 20Marriott International18 postings
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