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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Other titles employers use
Cafeteria Cook · Cook · Dietary Cook · Dinner Cook · Food Service Specialist · Food Service Worker · Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook) · School Cook
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety.
- Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.
- Rotate and store food supplies.
- Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment.
- Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.
- Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and helping work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
Subjects to know
- English Language
- Food Production
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.8 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.7 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.3 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Most employers do not ask for a formal credential. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 73%
- A certificate or some college 20%
- A four-year degree 7%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Word processing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Point of sale POS software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 50,400
- Job openings each year
- 7,700
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 13.9%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 50,400 | 7,700 | 13.9% |
| California | 27,000 | 4,130 | 13.4% |
| Ohio | 23,380 | 3,510 | 1.1% |
| Florida | 21,950 | 3,350 | 13.0% |
| Illinois | 20,970 | 3,160 | 2.9% |
| New York | 19,460 | 350 | 22.1% |
| Missouri | 17,330 | 2,610 | 2.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 14,910 | 2,240 | 2.1% |
| Tennessee | 14,230 | 2,200 | 21.8% |
| Oklahoma | 13,470 | 2,040 | 6.6% |
| Indiana | 12,490 | 1,880 | 4.8% |
| Kentucky | 11,720 | 1,760 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 10,820 | 1,820 | 15.4% |
| Wisconsin | 10,600 | 1,600 | 5.2% |
| North Carolina | 10,560 | 1,610 | 10.0% |
| Michigan | 10,510 | 1,580 | 1.0% |
| Colorado | 10,370 | 1,580 | 13.3% |
| South Carolina | 9,930 | 1,510 | 9.7% |
| Virginia | 9,760 | 1,470 | 2.4% |
| Iowa | 9,740 | 1,480 | 8.2% |
| Alabama | 9,380 | 1,420 | 6.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 8,450 | 1,280 | 8.8% |
| Minnesota | 8,210 | 1,240 | 4.1% |
| Georgia | 7,820 | 1,200 | 15.9% |
| Arkansas | 7,780 | 1,180 | 5.6% |
| Arizona | 7,460 | 1,150 | 20.5% |
| Mississippi | 7,390 | 1,120 | 5.6% |
| Oregon | 7,300 | 1,120 | 15.1% |
| Kansas | 7,060 | 1,060 | 4.6% |
| New Jersey | 6,700 | 1,010 | 6.2% |
| Utah | 5,820 | 900 | 22.8% |
| Nebraska | 5,090 | 770 | 5.4% |
| Louisiana | 4,390 | 660 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | 4,370 | 660 | 6.8% |
| New Mexico | 4,090 | 620 | 10.2% |
| West Virginia | 4,030 | 600 | — |
| Idaho | 3,860 | 590 | 13.9% |
| Connecticut | 3,820 | 580 | 10.4% |
| Massachusetts | 2,900 | 440 | 8.6% |
| Delaware | 2,870 | 440 | 11.7% |
| North Dakota | 2,700 | 410 | 7.6% |
| Montana | 2,600 | 390 | 9.7% |
| South Dakota | 2,310 | 350 | 7.4% |
| Maine | 2,290 | 340 | — |
| Nevada | 1,940 | 300 | 18.3% |
| New Hampshire | 1,840 | 280 | 5.1% |
| Wyoming | 1,700 | 260 | 11.1% |
| District of Columbia | 1,660 | 250 | 16.9% |
| Vermont | 1,390 | 210 | 12.1% |
| Rhode Island | 1,110 | 170 | 6.7% |
| Alaska | 840 | 130 | 9.1% |
| Virgin Islands | 80 | 10 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
- Degrees each year
- 257
- Admit rate
- 84%
- Annual cost after aid
- $28,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Degrees each year
- 261
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Degrees each year
- 146
- Admit rate
- 77%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
University of Houston
- Degrees each year
- 134
- Admit rate
- 70%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
The University of Alabama
- Degrees each year
- 131
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $22,000
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 83
- Admit rate
- 64%
- Annual cost after aid
- —
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 78
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 69
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Compare every college offering culinary arts and related services