Food Preparation

Cooks, Restaurant

SOC 35-2014

Prepare and cook meals to order through a hot, fast service.

Median pay

$37k

$34k to $45k typical range

Outlook

Growing fast

251k openings / yr

Education

No formal credential

AI displacement risk

Moderate

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

Works with AI

12/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

31st pct

More exposed than 31% of occupations · modeled estimate · 61th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

60/100

Key skills

Speaking
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
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.