Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
- O*NET-SOC code
35-2012.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$37,450
Employment, U.S.441,050
Median hourly wage$18.01
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $28,480 | $32,440 | $37,450 | $44,800 | $49,670 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8,780 | $27,120 | 1.46 |
| Alaska | 1,430 | $48,580 | 1.55 |
| Arizona | 7,170 | $39,660 | 0.78 |
| Arkansas | 6,530 | $30,240 | 1.77 |
| California | 31,660 | $46,390 | 0.61 |
| Colorado | 9,440 | $42,500 | 1.16 |
| Connecticut | 4,500 | $46,120 | 0.94 |
| Delaware | 2,680 | $44,080 | 1.95 |
| District of Columbia | 1,500 | $45,450 | 0.75 |
| Florida | 25,100 | $36,250 | 0.89 |
| Georgia | 8,220 | $35,090 | 0.59 |
| Hawaii | 1,570 | $47,770 | 0.88 |
| Idaho | 3,650 | $35,600 | 1.50 |
| Illinois | 22,840 | $37,440 | 1.32 |
| Indiana | 11,130 | $35,980 | 1.23 |
| Iowa | 8,860 | $35,810 | 2.00 |
| Kansas | 7,570 | $31,950 | 1.86 |
| Kentucky | 11,540 | $31,550 | 2.03 |
| Louisiana | 5,740 | $25,490 | 1.05 |
| Maine | 1,790 | $43,490 | 0.98 |
| Maryland | 3,370 | $41,380 | 0.43 |
| Massachusetts | 7,430 | $47,790 | 0.72 |
| Michigan | 13,500 | $36,870 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | 7,890 | $43,460 | 0.94 |
| Mississippi | 6,420 | $27,390 | 1.95 |
| Missouri | 13,130 | $34,900 | 1.58 |
| Montana | 2,290 | $37,150 | 1.58 |
| Nebraska | 4,410 | $36,390 | 1.52 |
| Nevada | 1,650 | $39,430 | 0.38 |
| New Hampshire | 1,720 | $45,370 | 0.89 |
| New Jersey | 7,490 | $44,520 | 0.62 |
| New Mexico | 3,160 | $36,470 | 1.28 |
| New York | 17,670 | $45,880 | 0.64 |
| North Carolina | 11,170 | $36,140 | 0.80 |
| North Dakota | 1,820 | $39,490 | 1.49 |
| Ohio | 23,440 | $36,720 | 1.49 |
| Oklahoma | 10,790 | $29,270 | 2.23 |
| Oregon | 7,150 | $44,520 | 1.28 |
| Pennsylvania | 24,490 | $36,540 | 1.42 |
| Rhode Island | 1,190 | $46,570 | 0.84 |
| South Carolina | 7,850 | $34,960 | 1.20 |
| South Dakota | 2,120 | $36,730 | 1.63 |
| Tennessee | 10,680 | $35,570 | 1.15 |
| Texas | 24,740 | $35,360 | 0.62 |
| Utah | 5,610 | $38,200 | 1.14 |
| Vermont | 1,330 | $46,370 | 1.55 |
| Virginia | 11,170 | $37,890 | 0.96 |
| Washington | 9,780 | $49,670 | 0.97 |
| West Virginia | 4,420 | $29,740 | 2.22 |
| Wisconsin | 9,890 | $38,650 | 1.19 |
| Wyoming | 1,570 | $36,940 | 1.97 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chefs and Head Cooks | 3 | 0.971 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 3 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 1-2 | 0.960 |
| 4 | Bakers | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 5 | Cooks, Private Household | 3 | 0.957 |
| 6 | Food Service Managers | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 7 | Butchers and Meat Cutters | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 8 | Bartenders | 1-2 | 0.950 |
| 9 | Dietetic Technicians | 3 | 0.949 |
| 10 | Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping | 1-2 | 0.948 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Batchmakers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.931 |
| Pest Control Workers | Negotiation | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| Animal Trainers | Learning Strategies | 1.13 | 0.922 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | Quality Control Analysis | 0.88 | 0.919 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, excluding software Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Foodman Home-Delivery | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| SoftCafe MenuPro | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Compris software | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Culinary Software Services ChefTec | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| NCR Advanced Checkout Solution | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| NCR NeighborhoodPOS | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| RestaurantPlus PRO | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.38 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 3.60 | 2.97 |
| Food Production | 3.58 | 3.69 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.56 | 3.72 |
| Mathematics | 3.54 | 3.01 |
| Administration and Management | 3.34 | 3.27 |
| Production and Processing | 3.06 | 2.98 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.99 | 2.74 |
| Education and Training | 2.88 | 3.21 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.68 | 2.37 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.57 | 2.26 |
| Administrative | 2.56 | 2.23 |
| Law and Government | 2.33 | 1.85 |
| Psychology | 2.20 | 2.24 |
| Chemistry | 2.12 | 2.39 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.05 | 1.32 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.02 | 1.61 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.00 | 1.42 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.95 | 1.47 |
| Foreign Language | 1.84 | 1.15 |
| Physics | 1.83 | 1.25 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.74 | 1.36 |
| Telecommunications | 1.74 | 0.84 |
| Communications and Media | 1.73 | 1.40 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.72 | 1.60 |
| Mechanical | 1.71 | 1.27 |
| Design | 1.69 | 1.05 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.69 | 0.85 |
| Biology | 1.53 | 1.03 |
| Transportation | 1.37 | 0.82 |
| Geography | 1.35 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.28 | 0.55 |
| History and Archeology | 1.27 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.10 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Near Vision | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Written Expression | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Control Precision | 2.88 | 2.25 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Stamina | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.50 | 1.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Depth Perception | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- GNOME Gnutrition
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- Meals Plus
- PCS Revenue Control Systems FASTRAK School Meal Software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guayama, PR | 200 | 5.58 | $23,570 |
| Lawton, OK | 610 | 4.99 | $37,450 |
| Arecibo, PR | 380 | 3.86 | $24,410 |
| Ponce, PR | 640 | 3.55 | $28,540 |
| Mayaguez, PR | 510 | 3.47 | $23,820 |
| Enid, OK | 210 | 3.14 | $27,090 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 440 | 3.07 | $35,310 |
| Aguadilla, PR | 390 | 2.82 | $26,260 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 520 | 2.81 | $41,470 |
| Dover, DE | 520 | 2.70 | $41,370 |