How to become a Restaurant Cook
Official title: Cooks, Restaurant
Also called: Back Line Cook, Banquet Cook, Breakfast Cook, Cook, Fry Cook, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Prep Cook (Preparation Cook), Prep Person (Preparation Person), Saucier
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.
Main tasks
- Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
- Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
- Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
- Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
- Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
- Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.
- Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
- Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
How to become one
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.
Typical education to start: No formal educational credential
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Chef de Partie (Cook Hotel & Restaurant).
- Apprenticeship: Production Cook.
- Licence: A licence is required in 7 states.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $37,390 a year The middle half earn $34,010 to $44,620.
- About 1,417,500 people work in this job now, and about 1,588,800 are projected by 2035. (+12.1%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Restaurant Cook?
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.
How much does a Restaurant Cook earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $37,390 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,010 to $44,620.
Is a Restaurant Cook a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 1,417,500 to about 1,588,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Restaurant Cook?
Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Chef de Partie (Cook Hotel & Restaurant).
Will AI change the work of a Restaurant Cook?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.