All About Institution and Cafeteria Cooks
Job Description: Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
What Do Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Do On a Daily Basis?
- Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry.
- Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.
- Monitor use of government food commodities to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
- Monitor menus and spending to ensure that meals are prepared economically.
- Plan menus that are varied, nutritionally balanced, and appetizing, taking advantage of foods in season and local availability.
- Compile and maintain records of food use and expenditures.
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Qualities of an Institution & Cafeteria Cook
Below is a list of the skills most Institution and Cafeteria Cooks say are important on the job.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
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.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Cook, Cashier, Food Prep (Cafeteria Worker)
- Third Cook
- Galley Cook
- Food Service Worker
- Roundsman
Are There Job Opportunities for Institution and Cafeteria Cooks?
In the United States, there were 424,800 jobs for Institution and Cafeteria Cook in 2016. 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.
Average Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Salary
The salary for Institution and Cafeteria Cooks ranges between about $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 do Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Institution and Cafeteria Cooks may use on a daily basis:
- 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 do I Become an Institution & Cafeteria Cook?
Individuals working as an Institution and Cafeteria Cook have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Institution & Cafeteria Cook?

Where do Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Work?

Institution and Cafeteria Cooks work in the following industries:

Similar Careers
Those interested in being an Institution and Cafeteria Cook may also be interested in:
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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