Headline risk
13%
Low RiskCooks, all other
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
All cooks not listed separately.
Task evidence
Task primitive coverage is not published for this occupation.
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 36,210
Employment 2024
24.0K
Projected Change (2024–34)
5.5%
Openings (2024–34)
3.7K
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
Requirements
Worker profile
Median age 46.4 · 5.5M employed
Under 25: 3% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 28%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
7/11 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.