Food Preparation
Cooks, Institution & Cafeteria
SOC 35-2012
Cook in volume for schools, hospitals, and cafeterias.
The job
Median pay
$37k
$32k to $45k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+2.8% projected
Openings a year
63k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
7/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
3rd pct
More exposed than 3% of occupations · modeled estimate · 21st pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
47/100
Key skills
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Mathematics
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 31,660 | 1.7 | 0.6× | $46k |
| Florida | 25,100 | 2.5 | 0.9× | $36k |
| Texas | 24,740 | 1.8 | 0.6× | $35k |
| Pennsylvania | 24,490 | 4.0 | 1.4× | $37k |
| Ohio | 23,440 | 4.2 | 1.5× | $37k |
| Illinois | 22,840 | 3.7 | 1.3× | $37k |
| New York | 17,670 | 1.8 | 0.6× | $46k |
| Michigan | 13,500 | 3.1 | 1.1× | $37k |
| Missouri | 13,130 | 4.5 | 1.6× | $35k |
| Kentucky | 11,540 | 5.8 | 2.0× | $32k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 11,170 | 2.3 | 0.8× | $36k |
| Virginia | 11,170 | 2.7 | 1.0× | $38k |
| Indiana | 11,130 | 3.5 | 1.2× | $36k |
| Oklahoma | 10,790 | 6.3 | 2.2× | $29k |
| Tennessee | 10,680 | 3.3 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Wisconsin | 9,890 | 3.4 | 1.2× | $39k |
| Washington | 9,780 | 2.8 | 1.0× | $50k |
| Colorado | 9,440 | 3.3 | 1.2× | $43k |
| Iowa | 8,860 | 5.7 | 2.0× | $36k |
| Alabama | 8,780 | 4.2 | 1.5× | $27k |
| Georgia | 8,220 | 1.7 | 0.6× | $35k |
| Minnesota | 7,890 | 2.7 | 0.9× | $43k |
| South Carolina | 7,850 | 3.4 | 1.2× | $35k |
| Kansas | 7,570 | 5.3 | 1.9× | $32k |
| New Jersey | 7,490 | 1.7 | 0.6× | $45k |
| Massachusetts | 7,430 | 2.0 | 0.7× | $48k |
| Arizona | 7,170 | 2.2 | 0.8× | $40k |
| Oregon | 7,150 | 3.6 | 1.3× | $45k |
| Arkansas | 6,530 | 5.0 | 1.8× | $30k |
| Mississippi | 6,420 | 5.5 | 1.9× | $27k |
| Louisiana | 5,740 | 3.0 | 1.1× | $25k |
| Utah | 5,610 | 3.2 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Connecticut | 4,500 | 2.7 | 0.9× | $46k |
| West Virginia | 4,420 | 6.3 | 2.2× | $30k |
| Nebraska | 4,410 | 4.3 | 1.5× | $36k |
| Idaho | 3,650 | 4.3 | 1.5× | $36k |
| Maryland | 3,370 | 1.2 | 0.4× | $41k |
| New Mexico | 3,160 | 3.6 | 1.3× | $36k |
| Delaware | 2,680 | 5.5 | 1.9× | $44k |
| Montana | 2,290 | 4.5 | 1.6× | $37k |
| South Dakota | 2,120 | 4.6 | 1.6× | $37k |
| North Dakota | 1,820 | 4.2 | 1.5× | $39k |
| Maine | 1,790 | 2.8 | 1.0× | $43k |
| New Hampshire | 1,720 | 2.5 | 0.9× | $45k |
| Nevada | 1,650 | 1.1 | 0.4× | $39k |
| Hawaii | 1,570 | 2.5 | 0.9× | $48k |
| Wyoming | 1,570 | 5.6 | 2.0× | $37k |
| Washington DC | 1,500 | 2.1 | 0.8× | $45k |
| Alaska | 1,430 | 4.4 | 1.6× | $49k |
| Vermont | 1,330 | 4.4 | 1.5× | $46k |
| Rhode Island | 1,190 | 2.4 | 0.8× | $47k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ15,270 jobs · $47k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN14,010 jobs · $38k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA9,860 jobs · $45k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD9,810 jobs · $39k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX6,620 jobs · $37k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL6,220 jobs · $36k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV5,670 jobs · $45k median
- St. Louis, MO-IL5,410 jobs · $36k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Cooks, Institution & Cafeteria interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.