Environment
Cooks work in restaurants, schools, hospitals, private households, and other places where food is prepared and served. They often work early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends.
Lodging & Tourism
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.
CAREER NAME
About this Career Path
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.
Environment
Cooks work in restaurants, schools, hospitals, private households, and other places where food is prepared and served. They often work early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends.
Cooks, Restaurant
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Current Available & Projected Jobs
Cooks, Restaurant
290
Current Available Jobs
45,100
Projected job openings through 2030
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES
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Supporting Programs
Cooks, Restaurant
Top Expected Tasks
Cooks, Restaurant
Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
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.
Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Cooks, Restaurant
KNOWLEDGE
Food Production
KNOWLEDGE
Customer and Personal Service
KNOWLEDGE
English Language
KNOWLEDGE
Production and Processing
KNOWLEDGE
Administration and Management
SKILL
Monitoring
SKILL
Active Listening
SKILL
Coordination
SKILL
Critical Thinking
SKILL
Speaking
ABILITY
Near Vision
ABILITY
Information Ordering
ABILITY
Manual Dexterity
ABILITY
Problem Sensitivity
ABILITY
Speech Recognition
Related Careers
Cooks, Restaurant
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