Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: $62K vs $37K Median Pay

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: what changes?

Consider Chefs and Head Cooks if you want to direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. Consider Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria if you would rather prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias. Entry credentials differ: Chefs and Head Cooks, high school diploma or equivalent; Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, no formal educational credential. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Chefs and Head Cooks (5 years or more).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Chefs and Head Cooks and Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Chefs and Head Cooks

National median pay (2025): $62,470
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 25,200

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Chefs and Head Cooks brief

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

National median pay (2025): $37,450
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 62,900

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria brief

How the national numbers differ

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on median pay

Chefs and Head Cooks is at $62,470, compared with $37,450 for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria.

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on projected growth

Chefs and Head Cooks is at 6.6% projected growth, compared with 2.8% projected growth for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria.

Typical preparation differs.

Chefs and Head Cooks: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria has the edge on annual openings

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is at 62,900 annual openings, compared with 25,200 annual openings for Chefs and Head Cooks.

67.9/ 100

Chefs and Head Cooks

54/ 100

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Dimension	Chefs and Head Cooks	Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Median pay (2025)	$62,470	$37,450
Pay percentile	52.2 percentile	7.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	6.6%	2.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	25,200	62,900
2025 employment	220,300	454,000
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Chefs and Head Cooks brief Read Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria brief

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Chefs and Head Cooks

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

How the national numbers differ

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on median pay

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria has the edge on annual openings

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

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