35
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is a notable career in the 35 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 35-2012 |
| title | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria |
| onet code | 35-2012.00 |
| description | Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 35 |
| tot emp | 448,260 |
| a mean | 37,310 |
| a median | 36,450 |
| a pct10 | 26,800 |
| a pct25 | 30,530 |
| a pct75 | 42,860 |
| a pct90 | 48,320 |
| h mean | 17 |
| h median | 17 |
The day-to-day work of a cooks, institution and cafeteria typically centers on monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Monitoring, Service Orientation, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.07 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working cooks, institution and cafeteria, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (71.1%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 7% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $48,260 and lowest in Mississippi at $25,830 — a 1.9× spread. The top five states (Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Massachusetts, Connecticut) average $46,912. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $48,260 | $49,920 | $39,400 | $61,510 | 10,210 |
| Hawaii | $47,250 | $50,250 | $36,840 | $63,010 | 1,270 |
| Alaska | $46,900 | $48,410 | $37,270 | $60,390 | 1,540 |
| Massachusetts | $46,280 | $47,100 | $37,950 | $58,650 | 7,510 |
| Connecticut | $45,870 | $46,640 | $36,830 | $59,040 | 3,630 |
| California | $45,680 | $47,060 | $36,710 | $59,960 | 27,320 |
| District of Columbia | $45,600 | $45,790 | $38,100 | $56,830 | 1,560 |
| Rhode Island | $45,450 | $44,960 | $36,600 | $57,850 | 940 |
| New Hampshire | $45,280 | $44,260 | $34,440 | $54,220 | 2,020 |
| New York | $45,160 | $46,050 | $35,670 | $58,410 | 16,980 |
| New Jersey | $44,050 | $43,670 | $34,850 | $54,190 | 7,290 |
| Delaware | $43,490 | $42,020 | $34,720 | $47,070 | 2,520 |
| Minnesota | $42,180 | $42,340 | $35,310 | $50,860 | 7,650 |
| Oregon | $41,870 | $43,320 | $35,440 | $55,650 | 7,010 |
| Vermont | $41,020 | $42,160 | $34,960 | $50,380 | 1,350 |
| Colorado | $40,890 | $42,080 | $34,750 | $49,630 | 9,520 |
| Maine | $39,810 | $41,250 | $34,650 | $47,940 | 2,120 |
| Arizona | $39,470 | $40,890 | $34,150 | $48,280 | 6,840 |
| North Dakota | $39,060 | $40,080 | $31,620 | $47,630 | 2,120 |
| Maryland | $38,900 | $41,130 | $33,390 | $49,600 | 3,730 |
| Nevada | $38,550 | $40,150 | $29,730 | $51,580 | 1,590 |
| Wisconsin | $37,840 | $39,000 | $31,000 | $47,000 | 9,680 |
| Utah | $37,740 | $38,680 | $29,190 | $47,410 | 5,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,830 | $36,800 | $28,230 | $45,700 | 23,520 |
| Montana | $36,690 | $37,340 | $29,640 | $46,860 | 2,270 |
| Illinois | $36,430 | $38,050 | $29,330 | $48,440 | 22,850 |
| Virginia | $36,260 | $37,640 | $28,620 | $47,340 | 11,070 |
| Ohio | $36,250 | $35,970 | $28,910 | $45,000 | 23,180 |
| Michigan | $35,870 | $35,910 | $28,890 | $43,690 | 13,650 |
| Wyoming | $35,650 | $36,180 | $27,410 | $47,000 | 1,500 |
| Florida | $35,640 | $36,600 | $28,980 | $45,160 | 24,100 |
| Nebraska | $35,630 | $36,290 | $28,610 | $45,020 | 4,360 |
| South Dakota | $35,360 | $35,790 | $28,920 | $43,660 | 2,160 |
| Indiana | $35,080 | $34,480 | $27,930 | $42,230 | 11,690 |
| Georgia | $34,960 | $34,720 | $26,570 | $43,930 | 7,440 |
| North Carolina | $34,590 | $34,380 | $25,580 | $43,400 | 11,970 |
| Iowa | $34,560 | $33,580 | $25,140 | $40,410 | 9,460 |
| New Mexico | $34,240 | $34,460 | $27,550 | $41,600 | 3,650 |
| Idaho | $33,880 | $33,890 | $26,320 | $43,820 | 3,950 |
| Texas | $32,780 | $33,020 | $23,000 | $42,900 | 35,110 |
| Tennessee | $31,910 | $33,260 | $25,330 | $42,140 | 11,890 |
| South Carolina | $31,730 | $31,830 | $20,370 | $41,090 | 7,560 |
| Kansas | $30,920 | $31,930 | $24,000 | $40,370 | 7,470 |
| Missouri | $30,920 | $33,470 | $26,200 | $43,310 | 13,310 |
| Kentucky | $30,770 | $32,300 | $24,460 | $43,660 | 11,650 |
| Arkansas | $29,700 | $31,160 | $25,930 | $38,400 | 6,700 |
| West Virginia | $28,790 | $30,700 | $23,000 | $38,800 | 4,540 |
| Oklahoma | $28,710 | $29,190 | $21,430 | $36,760 | 11,660 |
| Alabama | $26,780 | $26,910 | $18,480 | $36,250 | 8,970 |
| Louisiana | $26,410 | $27,580 | $20,110 | $35,750 | 6,280 |
| Mississippi | $25,830 | $27,190 | $19,060 | $36,390 | 6,470 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for cooks, institution and cafeteria. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Boarding House Cook or Cafeteria Cook frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria compares to others in the 35 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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