Skilled Trades
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Median salary (BLS)
$37,450
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$28k – $50k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Entry / Junior
$28,480
~2 yrs to advance
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Established
$37,450
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Senior
$43,560
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.