Headline risk
23%
Moderate RiskCooks, short order
AI displacement pressure score for United States AI Work Index, combining global AI task overlap with local wages, employment trends, and demand signals.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 35,620
Employment 2024
151.1K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-5.6%
Openings (2024–34)
20.6K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables. AI use: 0%
- 2. Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers. AI use: 0%
- 3. Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea. AI use: 0%
- 4. Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas. AI use: 0%
- 5. Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes. AI use: 0%
- 6. Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 34.7 · 2.1M employed
Under 25: 30% · 25–54: 53% · 55+: 17%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Data quality
Employment data available
Narrative & sources
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.
Cooks work in restaurants, schools, hospitals, private households, and other places where food is prepared and served. Their work hours may include early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and weekends. Most cooks work full time, although part-time work is common.
Cooks typically learn their skills through on-the-job training and related work experience. Although no formal education is required, some cooks attend culinary school.
The median hourly wage for cooks was $17.19 in May 2024.
Overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Important context
This score measures structural AI displacement pressure, not actual job losses. Local wages and demand data are specific to United States AI Work Index; the underlying AI task overlap analysis is consistent across all countries.