Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria vs Cooks, Private Household: $37K vs $48K Median Pay

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria vs Cooks, Private Household: what changes?

Consider Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria if you want to prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias. Consider Cooks, Private Household if you would rather prepare meals in private homes. Entry credentials differ: Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, no formal educational credential; Cooks, Private Household, postsecondary nondegree award. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Cooks, Private Household (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria and Cooks, Private Household. 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

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

Cooks, Private Household

National median pay (2025): $47,940
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
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: Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,000

Know before you choose

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

See the full Cooks, Private Household brief

How the national numbers differ

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria has the edge on annual openings

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is at 62,900 annual openings, compared with 5,000 annual openings for Cooks, Private Household.

Cooks, Private Household has the edge on median pay

Cooks, Private Household is at $47,940, compared with $37,450 for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria.

Cooks, Private Household has the edge on projected growth

Cooks, Private Household is at 5.1% projected growth, compared with 2.8% projected growth for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria.

Typical preparation differs.

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 Cooks, Private Household: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

54/ 100

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

48.6/ 100

Cooks, Private Household

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

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria vs Cooks, Private Household

Dimension	Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	Cooks, Private Household
Median pay (2025)	$37,450	$47,940
Pay percentile	7.3 percentile	26.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.8%	5.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	62,900	5,000
2025 employment	454,000	35,400
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

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

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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria vs Cooks, Private Household: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Cooks, Private Household

How the national numbers differ

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria has the edge on annual openings

Cooks, Private Household has the edge on median pay

Cooks, Private Household has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria vs Cooks, Private Household

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