What Does it Take to Be an Institution and Cafeteria Cook?
Position Description Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Life As an Institution & Cafeteria Cook
- Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.
- Train new employees.
- Bake breads, rolls, or other pastries.
- Requisition food supplies, kitchen equipment, and appliances, based on estimates of future needs.
- Compile and maintain records of food use and expenditures.
- Monitor use of government food commodities to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
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What an Institution & Cafeteria Cook Should Know
When polled, Institution and Cafeteria Cooks say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Other Institution & Cafeteria Cook Job Titles
- School Cook
- Boarding House Cook
- School Cafeteria Cook
- Third Cook
- Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook)
Institution & Cafeteria Cook Employment Estimates
There were about 424,800 jobs for Institution and Cafeteria Cook in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 32,600 new jobs for Institution and Cafeteria Cook by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 64,400 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Institution & Cafeteria Cook are Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Alabama, Wyoming, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for an Institution & Cafeteria Cook
Institution and Cafeteria Cooks make between $18,840 and $39,880 a year.

Institution and Cafeteria Cooks who work in Connecticut, Hawaii, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Institution and Cafeteria Cooks make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,100 |
Alaska | $37,670 |
Arizona | $28,120 |
Arkansas | $22,320 |
California | $35,680 |
Colorado | $29,630 |
Connecticut | $38,580 |
Delaware | $32,620 |
District of Columbia | $37,270 |
Florida | $27,280 |
Georgia | $26,160 |
Hawaii | $38,110 |
Idaho | $24,960 |
Illinois | $27,550 |
Indiana | $25,200 |
Iowa | $27,110 |
Kansas | $24,190 |
Kentucky | $25,630 |
Louisiana | $21,990 |
Maine | $30,910 |
Maryland | $33,010 |
Massachusetts | $37,300 |
Michigan | $28,410 |
Minnesota | $32,810 |
Mississippi | $20,460 |
Missouri | $24,900 |
Montana | $27,060 |
Nebraska | $26,950 |
Nevada | $32,780 |
New Hampshire | $33,100 |
New Jersey | $34,050 |
New Mexico | $25,020 |
New York | $34,800 |
North Carolina | $25,240 |
North Dakota | $31,370 |
Ohio | $27,260 |
Oklahoma | $21,650 |
Oregon | $31,920 |
Pennsylvania | $29,180 |
Rhode Island | $36,060 |
South Carolina | $22,960 |
South Dakota | $26,230 |
Tennessee | $25,580 |
Texas | $24,770 |
Utah | $27,870 |
Vermont | $31,380 |
Virginia | $29,400 |
Washington | $34,230 |
West Virginia | $24,200 |
Wisconsin | $28,960 |
Wyoming | $30,580 |
What Tools & Technology do Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Institution and Cafeteria Cooks:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Data entry software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Point of sale POS software
- IBM Lotus 1-2-3
- GNOME Gnutrition
How to Become an Institution & Cafeteria Cook
Learn what Institution and Cafeteria Cook education requirements there are.

How many years of work experience do I need?

Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Sector

Institution and Cafeteria Cooks work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those thinking about becoming an Institution and Cafeteria Cook might also be interested in the following careers:
Those who work as an Institution and Cafeteria Cook sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: U.S. Army Europe Images via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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