# Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

> Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-institution-and-cafeteria
- SOC code: 35-2012.00
- Career family: Food service
- Median annual pay: $37,450 (10th percentile $28,480, 90th percentile $49,670)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.8%
- Openings a year: 62,900
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 82 |
| Investigative (I) | 14 |
| Artistic (A) | 17 |
| Social (S) | 36 |
| Enterprising (E) | 36 |
| Conventional (C) | 56 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 75/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 71/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 71/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 70/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 69/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 69/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 67/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 66/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 66/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 64/100)

## Skills

Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Service Orientation, Speaking, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Critical Thinking

## Knowledge

English Language, Food Production, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Administration and Management, Production and Processing, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, Computers and Electronics, Personnel and Human Resources

## Also called

Boarding House Cook, Cafeteria Cook, Camp Cook, Cook, Culinary Specialist, Dietary Aide, Dietary Cook, Dinner Cook, Food Service Specialist, Food Service Worker

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Culinary Arts and Related Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1205) (CIP 1205, 510 colleges)
- [Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1905) (CIP 1905, 276 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-3134) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $30,289 | $74,005 | $20,500 |
| [Morgan State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/morgan-state-university-1778) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $39,755 | $64,007 | $27,000 |
| [Culinary Institute of America-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/culinary-institute-of-america-new-york-729) | Culinary Arts and Related Services | $48,130 | $61,944 | $22,875 |
| [Oklahoma State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus-2019) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $35,499 | $61,369 | $18,500 |
| [University of Nebraska-Lincoln Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-nebraska-lincoln-main-campus-2975) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $38,625 | $61,092 | $19,648 |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | $59,864 | not reported |
| [Eastern Kentucky University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-kentucky-university-866) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | $59,838 | $19,856 |
| [James Madison University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/james-madison-university-1324) | Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | $59,501 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Cooks, Restaurant](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-restaurant): $37,390 median pay
- [Food Preparation Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-preparation-workers): $35,320 median pay
- [Cooks, Private Household](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-private-household): $47,940 median pay
- [Cooks, Short Order](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-short-order): $35,880 median pay
- [Chefs and Head Cooks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/chefs-and-head-cooks): $62,470 median pay
- [Cooks, Fast Food](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-fast-food): $30,890 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.