Food Preparation

Chefs & Head Cooks

SOC 35-1011

Run a kitchen: design the menu, manage cooks, control costs, and keep quality consistent.

Median pay

$62k

$48k to $79k typical range

Outlook

Growing fast

24k openings / yr

Education

High school plus experience

AI displacement risk

Moderate

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person · our model, not a benchmark

Works with AI

11/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

25th pct

More exposed than 25% of occupations · modeled estimate · 53th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

65/100

Key skills

Monitoring
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning

Where this ranks

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2024-2034). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.