Cook and waitress/waiter demographics and statistics in the US
Cook and waitress/waiter demographics research summary. Zippia estimates cook and waitress/waiter demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our cook and waitress/waiter estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about cook and waitresses/waiter after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 430,125 cook and waitresses/waiter currently employed in the United States.
- 25.2% of all cook and waitresses/waiter are women, while 74.8% are men.
- The average cook and waitress/waiter age is 28 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of cook and waitresses/waiter is White (54.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%), Black or African American (11.6%) and Asian (8.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 98% of what men earned.
- 6% of all cook and waitresses/waiter are LGBT.
- Cook and waitresses/waiter are 78% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Cook and waitress/waiter demographics by:
Cook and waitress/waiter gender statistics
25.2% of cook and waitresses/waiter are women and 74.8% of cook and waitresses/waiter are men.
- Male, 74.8%
- Female, 25.2%
Cook and waitress/waiter gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 74.8% |
| Female | 25.2% |
Cook and waitress/waiter gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,132
Female income
$27,435
Cook and waitress/waiter gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cook and waitress/waiter positions over time. Currently, 25.2% of cook and waitresses/waiter are female.
Cook and waitress/waiter gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.96% | 28.04% |
| 2011 | 72.15% | 27.85% |
| 2012 | 72.50% | 27.50% |
| 2013 | 73.68% | 26.32% |
| 2014 | 73.36% | 26.64% |
| 2015 | 74.10% | 25.90% |
| 2016 | 75.65% | 24.35% |
| 2017 | 74.78% | 25.22% |
| 2018 | 74.74% | 25.26% |
| 2019 | 74.63% | 25.37% |
| 2020 | 75.46% | 24.54% |
| 2021 | 74.79% | 25.21% |
Cook and waitress/waiter related jobs gender ratio
We compared cook and waitresses/waiter with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, busboy/waiter and host/waiter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Barmaid | 5% | 95% |
| Head Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Bartender, Cook, And Waitress | 5% | 95% |
| Cook And Waitress/Waiter | 75% | 25% |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 86% | 14% |
| Host/Waiter | 90% | 10% |
| Busboy/Waiter | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Cook and waitress/waiter demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cook and waitresses/waiter is White, which makes up 54.7% of all cook and waitresses/waiter. Comparatively, 18.6% of cook and waitresses/waiter are Hispanic or Latino and 11.6% of cook and waitresses/waiter are Black or African American.
- White, 54.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.6%
- Black or African American, 11.6%
- Asian, 8.7%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Cook and waitress/waiter race
| Cook and waitress/waiter race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.6% |
| Black or African American | 11.6% |
| Asian | 8.7% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Cook and waitress/waiter race and ethnicity over time
See how cook and waitress/waiter racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cook and waitress/waiter race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.88% | 10.75% | 5.76% | 13.63% |
| 2011 | 65.53% | 11.80% | 6.06% | 13.53% |
| 2012 | 64.84% | 11.62% | 6.28% | 14.03% |
| 2013 | 64.19% | 11.40% | 6.27% | 14.94% |
| 2014 | 63.48% | 11.18% | 6.70% | 15.13% |
| 2015 | 61.27% | 11.50% | 6.93% | 16.58% |
| 2016 | 61.00% | 11.55% | 6.97% | 16.56% |
| 2017 | 60.47% | 11.54% | 7.03% | 16.98% |
| 2018 | 59.37% | 11.88% | 7.55% | 17.42% |
| 2019 | 60.18% | 11.46% | 7.75% | 16.81% |
| 2020 | 55.89% | 12.22% | 7.96% | 17.95% |
| 2021 | 54.73% | 11.60% | 8.70% | 18.59% |
Cook and waitress/waiter wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino cook and waitresses/waiter have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american cook and waitresses/waiter have the lowest average salary at $27,672.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,090 |
| White | $28,127 |
| Black or African American | $27,672 |
| Asian | $28,162 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,617 |
Average cook and waitress/waiter age
See how the average age of cook and waitresses/waiter varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Cook and waitress/waiter age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 24 | 25 |
| Unknown | 24 | 24 |
| Asian | 28 | 32 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 26 | 26 |
| White | 24 | 25 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 31 | 25 |
Cook and waitress/waiter age breakdown
The average age of cook and waitresses/waiter is 20-30 years years old, representing 48% of the cook and waitress/waiter population.
Cook and waitress/waiter age breakdown
| Cook And Waitress/Waiter Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 15% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 48% |
Cook and waitress/waiter educational attainment
The most common degree for cook and waitresses/waiter is high school diploma, with 42% of cook and waitresses/waiter earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 18%.
- High School Diploma, 42%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Cook and waitresses/waiter by degree level
| Cook and waitress/waiter degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 42% |
| Bachelor's | 25% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Cook and waitress/waiter jobs you might like
Cook and waitress/waiter wage gap by degree level
According to the data, cook and waitresses/waiter with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $30,566 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, cook and waitresses/waiter earn a median annual income of $29,821 compared to $28,736 for cook and waitresses/waiter with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $30,566 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,692 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,821 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,736 |
Cook and waitress/waiter employment statistics
Most cook and waitresses/waiter work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where cook and waitresses/waiter work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cook and waitresses/waiter work.
Cook and waitress/waiter jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 21% |
Cook and waitress/waiter jobs by company type
Employees with the cook and waitress/waiter job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cook and waitresses/waiter prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Cook and waitress/waiter jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 18% |
| Private | 78% |
| Government | 2% |
Cook and waitress/waiter jobs by industry
The most common industries for cook and waitresses/waiter are hospitality, professional and health care.
Cook and waitress/waiter industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 60% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Media | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Cook and waitress/waiter turnover and employment statistics
Cook and waitress/waiter unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cook and waitresses/waiter between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cook and waitress/waiter unemployment rate by year
| Year | Cook and waitress/waiter unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.70% |
| 2011 | 12.69% |
| 2012 | 11.74% |
| 2013 | 10.91% |
| 2014 | 9.64% |
| 2015 | 7.91% |
| 2016 | 7.56% |
| 2017 | 7.32% |
| 2018 | 6.98% |
| 2019 | 6.26% |
| 2020 | 13.68% |
| 2021 | 12.67% |
Average cook and waitress/waiter tenure
The average cook and waitress/waiter stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,575 cook and waitresses/waiter resumes in Zippia's database.
Cook and waitress/waiter tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 39% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Cook and waitress/waiter LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of cook and waitresses/waiter 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cook And Waitress/Waiter | 6.48% | - |
| Room Server | 6.98% | 98,112 |
| Gate Tender | 7.82% | 28,683 |
| Food Cart Attendant | 7.82% | 96,571 |
Similar cook and waitress/waiter jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Room Server | 6.98% | 98,112 |
| Gate Tender | 7.82% | 28,683 |
| Food Cart Attendant | 7.82% | 96,571 |
Foreign languages spoken by cook and waitresses/waiter
The most common foreign language among cook and waitresses/waiter is Spanish at 57.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.5% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 3.9%.
- Spanish, 57.9%
- French, 10.5%
- Japanese, 3.9%
- Arabic, 3.9%
- German, 2.6%
- Other, 21.2%
Cook and waitress/waiter languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.9% |
| French | 10.5% |
| Japanese | 3.9% |
| Arabic | 3.9% |
| German | 2.6% |
| Other | 21.2% |
