Cooks, Restaurant

Low pay & highrisk
High Risk
Low High

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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
5.0/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

69% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Critical thinking

Quite important
Why this matters
Weigh options using logic and evidence, spot weaknesses in arguments, and choose the best approach when there isn’t a single clear answer.
Jobs that also use this strength

What users think

Based on 343 votes

49% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a much higher chance of automation: 69% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Cooks, Restaurant will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Sentiment

Based on user votes over time

View sentiment trend

How opinions have changed over time

Pay & outlook

Wages

Very low paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant was $36,830 ($18 per hour).

The median annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant was 25.6% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Very fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Cooks, Restaurant' job openings is expected to rise 14.9% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 1,452,130 people employed as 'Cooks, Restaurant' within the United States.

This represents around 0.9% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 106 people are employed as 'Cooks, Restaurant'.

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What people are saying (11)

Leave a comment
Jaqueline (Low)
17 May 2023 14:28
In professional kitchens there are a lot of unexpected variables that would be difficult for a robot to account for.
Bernard Everstein (Low)
20 Oct 2020 21:05
There's certain things robots CANNOT do, art is one of those things
Matt (No chance)
08 Jul 2020 16:21
What are you doing? Microwaving pasta? Too much chaos and complex physics and chemistry involved.
Gordon (Low)
28 Nov 2023 16:58
anyone can make a burger, but not anyone can make a good burger.
B.A.Hewett (No chance)
11 Mar 2020 12:13
Because people don't want perfect food. It would make it seem like we live in an artificial world. Imperfection is human.
Fredrick (Highly likely)
24 Sep 2019 04:08
Because people like robots more than humans so they want robots to cook their food
Kiwi
17 Nov 2019 14:06
Lol but that is true!
尉迟锦鲤 （Koi Yuchi） (Highly likely)
30 Jul 2020 13:39
If this profession is replaced by robots, then many people will not be able to find a job. But it brings us a lot of convenience!
Ja'lesia . s . Jackson (Highly likely)
06 May 2019 16:38
because robots are becoming more trusted than humans
KANET
25 Oct 2019 08:57
that MAKES ME SAD :(
Ale
21 May 2020 22:18
Thank god. This line of work is low paying, very stressful, lots of hours and not very appreciated, also somewhat dangerous. It needs to go, sorry to all the chefs who actually like their job somehow, but yea, screw this job.
Leave a reply about this occupation
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Job description

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.

O*NET-SOC code: 35-2014.00