Occupation · SOC 35-2014
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.
Median wage
$36,830
$28,010–$47,340
Projected growth
+14.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
21,700
per year
Employed (US)
1,452,130
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
419 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingCritical ThinkingMonitoringTime Management
Knowledge areas
Food ProductionEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Web page creation and editing softwareCompliance softwareInventory management softwareData base user interface and query softwareSpreadsheet software
Representative tasks
Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.Observe and test foods to determine if they have been cooked sufficiently, using methods such as tasting, smelling, or piercing them with utensils.Substitute for or assist other cooks during emergencies or rush periods.Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.Bake breads, rolls, cakes, and pastries.Carve and trim meats such as beef, veal, ham, pork, and lamb for hot or cold service, or for sandwiches.Keep records and accounts.Prepare relishes and hors d'oeuvres.Estimate expected food consumption, requisition or purchase supplies, or procure food from storage.Consult with supervisory staff to plan menus, taking into consideration factors such as costs and special event needs.Butcher and dress animals, fowl, or shellfish, or cut and bone meat prior to cooking.Plan and price menu items.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Knife skills (dice, mince, julienne) — execute to spec on prep-station produce.Mise en place — set up to a sous chef's checklist before service on an assigned station.Recipe cards and standardized ratios — follow accurately under direct supervision on the line.Food-safety practices (hand wash, glove change, temp logs) — apply consistently in the kitchen.Cooking temperatures and HACCP standards — verify with a thermometer on simple proteins.Station cleaning and sanitization — perform to spec on opening, closing, and changeover.Basic stocks and sauces — make from a recipe with a senior cook checking the result.Line tickets and call-outs — read correctly during a moderate-volume service.Common allergens and cross-contact risks — identify and flag to the lead cook.Walk-in and dry-storage labels and rotation (FIFO) — maintain on assigned shelves.
developing
A single station (grill, sauté, fry) — run independently through a typical service.Pacing and timing on tickets — coordinate within a station during moderate-volume service.Common menu items — execute consistently to plate spec across a busy shift.Mid-shift restocks and prep calls — anticipate and act on without prompting from the chef.Cooking faults (over/undercook, broken sauce) — recognize and recover at the station.Food cost and waste at the station level — minimize during routine service.Communication with expo and other stations — sustain clearly through service rushes.New prep cooks on basic tasks — guide on knife work and recipe execution.Inventory counts on assigned items — complete accurately for the kitchen lead.Daily specials within the chef's framework — execute reliably to plate.
proficient
Multiple stations and station hand-offs — run smoothly through a high-volume service.Full menu execution — deliver to spec across the line without sous-chef intervention.Service flow and ticket times — manage at expo or the pass during peak service.Prep lists and station builds for a shift — set, adjust, and complete across the kitchen.Vendor receiving and quality checks — perform competently on incoming product.Recipe scaling and substitutions — execute correctly when product or volume varies.Health-inspection readiness — maintain across the kitchen on every shift.Newer cooks across stations — train, evaluate, and develop on the line.Banquets, off-menu, and large parties — plan and execute alongside regular service.Kitchen labor and breaks during service — coordinate while running the pass.
advanced
Menu development and recipe standards — design, cost, and roll out across a restaurant.Food and labor cost — manage to target across a restaurant's kitchen.Vendor relationships and product sourcing — establish and steward for quality and cost.Kitchen culture and standards — set, model, and sustain across all shifts.Sous chefs and lead cooks — develop, evaluate, and grow into greater responsibility.Health, safety, and HACCP programs — own and audit across the operation.Special events and chef's-table service — design and execute to a distinctive standard.Crisis service moments (POS down, short-staffed, equipment failure) — lead through with composure.Operational reporting (waste, COGS, comps) — interpret and act on in weekly reviews.Concept and seasonal menu changes — plan and lead with ownership and front-of-house.
Also known as
64 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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