Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Median salary

$37,450

Average salary

$38,810

Employment

441,050

Projected growth

2% growth

Annual openings

69,700

Typical entry education

No formal educational credential

What Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Do

Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

English Languageimportance 3.6/5
Food Productionimportance 3.6/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.5/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.1/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.0/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
Spend Time Standing4.7/5
Contact With Others4.6/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
Time Pressure4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Dentists, General95% skill match
Anesthesiologists95% skill match
Dietetic Technicians95% skill match
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers94% skill match
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers94% skill match
Pharmacy Technicians94% skill match
Chefs and Head Cooks94% skill match
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

GNOME Gnutrition
IBM Lotus 1-2-3
Meals Plus
PCS Revenue Control Systems FASTRAK School Meal Software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Cooperation
Cautiousness
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
EnterprisingMedium
ArtisticLow
InvestigativeLow

Specific Interests

A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.

Military Backgrounds That Lead Here

Military occupations commonly matched to this career, per the DMDC Military Crosswalk.

Culinary Specialist (CS)Coast Guard
Leading Culinary Specialist (R01A)Navy
Services Helper (3F111)Space Force
Services Apprentice (3F131)Space Force
Services Journeyman (3F151)Space Force
Nutrition Care Specialist (68M)Army
Culinary Specialist (92G)Army
Diet Therapy Helper (4D011)Air Force
Diet Therapy Apprentice (4D031)Air Force
Submarine Culinary Specialist (002769)Navy

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where cooks, institution and cafeteria make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).