Cooks, Restaurant
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Cooks, Restaurant to increase by 12.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,417,500 to 1,588,800 jobs. Its estimate of 218,600 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($37,390), education (No formal educational credential), and related experience (Less than 5 years) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
1,417,500
Projected employment (2034)
1,588,800
Projected change (2024–2034)
12%
Annual openings (projected average)
218,600
Pay & Preparation
$37,390
No formal educational credential
Less than 5 years
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Monitoring (3/5) • Speaking (3/5) • Critical Thinking (3/5) • Time Management (3/5) • Active Listening (2.88/5) • Active Learning (2.75/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
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