Cafeteria cook demographics and statistics in the US
Cafeteria cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates cafeteria cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our cafeteria cook estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about cafeteria cooks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 8,922 cafeteria cooks currently employed in the United States.
- 61.0% of all cafeteria cooks are women, while 39.0% are men.
- The average cafeteria cook age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of cafeteria cooks is White (60.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.6%), Black or African American (10.2%) and Asian (8.5%).
- Cafeteria cooks are most in-demand in Lakeland, FL.
- The hospitality industry is the highest-paying for cafeteria cooks.
- Falmouth, MA pays an annual average wage of $37,274, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women cafeteria cooks earned 97% of what men earned.
- 6% of all cafeteria cooks are LGBT.
- Mississippi is the best state for cafeteria cooks to live.
- Cafeteria cooks are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Cafeteria cook demographics by:
Cafeteria cook gender statistics
61.0% of cafeteria cooks are women and 39.0% of cafeteria cooks are men.
- Female, 61.0%
- Male, 39.0%
Cafeteria cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 61.0% |
| Male | 39.0% |
Cafeteria cook gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$31,182
Female income
$30,286
Cafeteria cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cafeteria cook positions over time. Currently, 61.0% of cafeteria cooks are female.
Cafeteria cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 35.89% | 64.11% |
| 2011 | 36.33% | 63.67% |
| 2012 | 37.49% | 62.51% |
| 2013 | 37.59% | 62.41% |
| 2014 | 39.00% | 61.00% |
| 2015 | 38.13% | 61.87% |
| 2016 | 39.13% | 60.87% |
| 2017 | 39.17% | 60.83% |
| 2018 | 38.36% | 61.64% |
| 2019 | 38.06% | 61.94% |
| 2020 | 38.94% | 61.06% |
| 2021 | 39.00% | 61.00% |
Cafeteria cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared cafeteria cooks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, saucier and vacuum kettle cook have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Clerk | 13% | 87% |
| Dietary Clerk | 16% | 84% |
| School Cafeteria Cook | 20% | 80% |
| Cafeteria Cook | 39% | 61% |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | 84% | 16% |
| Vacuum Kettle Cook | 87% | 13% |
| Saucier | 91% | 9% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Cafeteria cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cafeteria cooks is White, which makes up 60.0% of all cafeteria cooks. Comparatively, 15.6% of cafeteria cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 10.2% of cafeteria cooks are Black or African American.
- White, 60.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.6%
- Black or African American, 10.2%
- Asian, 8.5%
- Unknown, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Cafeteria cook race
| Cafeteria cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.6% |
| Black or African American | 10.2% |
| Asian | 8.5% |
| Unknown | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Cafeteria cook race and ethnicity over time
See how cafeteria cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cafeteria cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.38% | 11.77% | 7.43% | 13.87% |
| 2011 | 64.18% | 12.96% | 7.47% | 12.39% |
| 2012 | 63.85% | 12.49% | 7.27% | 13.35% |
| 2013 | 64.00% | 12.34% | 7.26% | 13.55% |
| 2014 | 63.57% | 12.21% | 7.53% | 13.50% |
| 2015 | 63.61% | 11.97% | 7.63% | 13.62% |
| 2016 | 63.29% | 11.62% | 7.56% | 14.08% |
| 2017 | 62.44% | 11.25% | 7.73% | 14.65% |
| 2018 | 63.54% | 11.23% | 7.61% | 14.15% |
| 2019 | 63.60% | 10.82% | 7.97% | 14.07% |
| 2020 | 61.58% | 10.17% | 8.22% | 14.27% |
| 2021 | 60.04% | 10.16% | 8.51% | 15.57% |
Cafeteria cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian cafeteria cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american cafeteria cooks have the lowest average salary at $30,820.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,009 |
| White | $31,042 |
| Black or African American | $30,820 |
| Asian | $31,619 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,428 |
Average cafeteria cook age
See how the average age of cafeteria cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Cafeteria cook age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 35 | 45 |
| Unknown | 27 | 36 |
| Asian | 42 | 49.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 42 |
| White | 29 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 31.5 | 49 |
Cafeteria cook age breakdown
The average age of cafeteria cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the cafeteria cook population.
Cafeteria cook age breakdown
| Cafeteria Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
Cafeteria cook educational attainment
The most common degree for cafeteria cooks is high school diploma, with 50% of cafeteria cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 9%.
- High School Diploma, 50%
- Associate, 24%
- Bachelor's, 9%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Cafeteria cooks by degree level
| Cafeteria cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 50% |
| Associate | 24% |
| Bachelor's | 9% |
| Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Cafeteria cook jobs you might like
Cafeteria cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, cafeteria cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $31,847 annually. With a Associate degree, cafeteria cooks earn a median annual income of $31,308 compared to $30,804 for cafeteria cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,804 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,847 |
| No Education | $30,542 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,308 |
Cafeteria cook employment statistics
Most cafeteria cooks work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where cafeteria cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cafeteria cooks work.
Cafeteria cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Cafeteria cook jobs by company type
Employees with the cafeteria cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cafeteria cooks prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Cafeteria cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 34% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 50% |
| Government | 3% |
Cafeteria cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for cafeteria cooks are education, health care and hospitality.
Cafeteria cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 30% |
| Health Care | 15% |
| Hospitality | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Cafeteria cook turnover and employment statistics
Cafeteria cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cafeteria cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cafeteria cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | Cafeteria cook unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.74% |
| 2011 | 13.72% |
| 2012 | 12.24% |
| 2013 | 11.55% |
| 2014 | 9.93% |
| 2015 | 8.76% |
| 2016 | 8.73% |
| 2017 | 7.83% |
| 2018 | 7.48% |
| 2019 | 6.91% |
| 2020 | 10.00% |
| 2021 | 10.11% |
Average cafeteria cook tenure
The average cafeteria cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 280 cafeteria cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
Cafeteria cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 27% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Cafeteria cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of cafeteria cooks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Cafeteria Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Kitchen Helper | 6.78% | 80,202 |
| Server And Shift Manager | 7.02% | 254,425 |
| HMS Host | 7.29% | 10,342 |
| Food Runner | 7.36% | 240,853 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Banquet Supervisor | 8.43% | 11,122 |
Similar cafeteria cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Helper | 6.78% | 80,202 |
| Server And Shift Manager | 7.02% | 254,425 |
| HMS Host | 7.29% | 10,342 |
| Food Runner | 7.36% | 240,853 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Banquet Supervisor | 8.43% | 11,122 |
Foreign languages spoken by cafeteria cooks
- French, 50.0%
- Spanish, 50.0%
Cafeteria cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| French | 50.0% |
| Spanish | 50.0% |
