Career Outlook: 2010-2020

COOKSCOOKS

What Do Cooks DoCooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, such as soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.

Duties

•Cooks typically do the following:•Check freshness of food and ingredients before cooking•Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes•Bake, roast, grill, broil, or fry meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods•Boil and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods•Garnish, arrange, and serve food•Clean work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware•Cook, hold, and store food or food ingredients

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Job DescriptionLarge restaurants and food service establishments tend to have varied menus and large kitchen staffs. Teams of restaurant cooks, sometimes called assistant or line cooks, work at assigned stations equipped with the necessary types of stoves, grills, pans, and ingredients.

Job titles often reflect the principal ingredient cooks prepare or the type of cooking they do—vegetable cook, fry cook, or grill cook, for example.

Cooks usually work under the direction or supervision of chefs, head cooks, or food service managers. For more information on these occupations, see the profiles on chefs and head cooks and food service managers.

Depending on the type of eating place, cooks use a variety of kitchen equipment, including broilers, grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders.

The responsibilities of cooks vary depending on where they work, the size of the facility, and the complexity and level of service offered. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Types of CooksInstitution and cafeteria cooks work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals, and other institutions. For each meal, they prepare a large quantity of a limited number of entrees, vegetables, and desserts, according to preset menus. Because meals generally are prepared in advance, cooks seldom prepare special orders.

Restaurant cooks usually prepare a wide selection of dishes and cook most orders individually. Some restaurant cooks may order supplies, set menu prices, and plan the daily menu.

Short-order cooks prepare foods in restaurants and coffee shops that emphasize fast service and quick food preparation. They usually prepare sandwiches, fry eggs, and cook french fries, often working on several orders at the same time.

Fast-food cooks prepare a limited selection of menu items in fast-food restaurants. They cook and package food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, to be kept warm until served. For more information on workers who prepare and serve items in fast-food restaurants, see the profile on food preparation workers and food and beverage serving and related workers.

Private household cooks plan and prepare meals in private homes, according to the client’s tastes and dietary needs. They order groceries and supplies, clean the kitchen, and wash dishes and utensils. They also may cater parties, holiday meals, luncheons, and other social events. Most private household chefs typically work for one full-time client.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Work SchedulesMost cooks work full time but many work part time. Work shifts can include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. Schedules for cooks in school cafeterias and some institutional cafeterias usually are more regular. Cooks working in schools may work only during the school year, usually for 9 or 10 months. Similarly, resort establishments offer seasonal employment only.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

How to Become a CookTraining

Most cooks obtain their skills through short-term on-the job training, usually lasting a few weeks. Training usually starts with learning kitchen basics and workplace safety and continues with food handling and cooking procedures.

Professional culinary institutes, industry associations, and trade unions sponsor formal apprenticeship programs for cooks, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor. Typical apprenticeships last 2 years and combine technical training and work experience. The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic training programs and sponsors apprenticeship programs around the country.

Some hotels, restaurants, and the Armed Forces have their own training and job-placement programs.  

Education

Independent and vocational cooking schools, professional culinary institutes, and college degree programs also provide training for aspiring cooks. Programs generally last from a few months to 2 years or more. Many offer training in advanced cooking techniques, international cuisines, and cooking styles.  

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Salary and PayThe median hourly wage of cooks was $9.74 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.73 per hour, and the top 10 percent earned more than $14.67 per hour.

Median hourly wages for cook occupations in May 2010 were as follows:

$12.29 for cooks, private household$10.93 for cooks, institution and cafeteria$10.65 for cooks, restaurant$9.42 for cooks, short order$8.70 for cooks, fast food$10.93 for cooks, all other

Earnings of cooks vary greatly by region and type of employer. Earnings usually are highest in fine dining restaurants and luxury hotels, which are often found in major metropolitan and resort areas.Most cooks work full time but many work part time.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Salary and Pay

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Job OutlookOverall employment of cooks is projected to grow 8 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Individual growth rates will vary by specialty.

People continue to eat out, buy take-out meals, or have food delivered. In response, more restaurants will open, and nontraditional food-service operations, such as those found inside grocery stores, will serve more prepared food dishes, spurring demand for cooks. Employment growth for cooks will also increase as, in an effort to lower costs, many full-service restaurants will hire lower level cooks instead of chefs and head cooks. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

Job OutlookOverall job opportunities are expected to be good as a combination of employment growth and current workers leaving the occupation leads to a large number of job openings. Cooks with formal training will have the best job prospects.

Candidates who demonstrate eagerness and are able to do more refined tasks will have the best job opportunities at restaurant chains, upscale restaurants, and hotels. Nonetheless, those seeking full-time jobs at upscale restaurants and hotels are likely to face competition, as the number of job applicants often exceeds the number of job openings.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

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Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Cooks, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm (visited July 07, 2012).

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