Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
About the profession
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
How to Get Started
Take a personality test to see if Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria fits your profile
Career Match Test →Explore the Career Path section to see progression from junior to senior
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Jump to Learning Path →Video
Occupation on screen: Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (O*NET 35-2012.00). Closed captions in English and Spanish. CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Personality Fit
Based on the Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Investigative
Research, analysis, problem-solving
Realistic
Hands-on, practical, technical work
Conventional
Organizing, detail-oriented, structured
Not sure if these types match you? Take the full RIASEC assessment (4 min) to discover your personality profile and see how it aligns with hundreds of careers.
Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Trainee Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria → Technician Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria → Senior Technician Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria → Lead Technician Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
$47K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $25,290 - $30,795/year With equity/bonuses: $27,819 - $36,954 Top markets (SF/NYC): $29,083 - $36,954 Execute core tasks using Speaking under…
Skills used in this career
Click any skill to see how to learn it and what salary boost it gives
Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
9am, Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety. 10am, Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $17,703 - $27,716 Year 2-3: Junior level $30,795 - $34,485 Year 4-6: Mid level $34,485 - $37,389 Year 7-10: Senior level $37,389 - $43,895 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions, answer honestly
You find the craft of a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Speaking and Monitoring You communicate clearly with…
💰 Salary Range
BLS OEWS, May 2023Half of U.S. workers in this occupation earn more than this, half earn less.
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Related Reading
Related Holland / RIASEC Types