Cook demographics and statistics in the US
Cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 cooks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,802,011 cooks currently employed in the United States.
- 29.8% of all cooks are women, while 70.2% are men.
- The average cook age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of cooks is White (58.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.2%), Black or African American (10.2%) and Asian (8.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 6% of all cooks are LGBT.
- Cooks are 73% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Cook demographics by:
Cook gender statistics
29.8% of cooks are women and 70.2% of cooks are men.
- Male, 70.2%
- Female, 29.8%
Cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 70.2% |
| Female | 29.8% |
Cook gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,913
Female income
$31,651
Cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cook positions over time. Currently, 29.8% of cooks are female.
Cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.31% | 32.69% |
| 2011 | 67.72% | 32.28% |
| 2012 | 68.81% | 31.19% |
| 2013 | 68.90% | 31.10% |
| 2014 | 70.16% | 29.84% |
| 2015 | 69.39% | 30.61% |
| 2016 | 70.27% | 29.73% |
| 2017 | 70.31% | 29.69% |
| 2018 | 69.59% | 30.41% |
| 2019 | 69.33% | 30.67% |
| 2020 | 70.11% | 29.89% |
| 2021 | 70.16% | 29.84% |
Cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Cook | 70% | 30% |
| 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%
Cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cooks is White, which makes up 58.1% of all cooks. Comparatively, 17.2% of cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 10.2% of cooks are Black or African American.
- White, 58.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.2%
- Black or African American, 10.2%
- Asian, 8.5%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Cook race
| Cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.2% |
| Black or African American | 10.2% |
| Asian | 8.5% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Cook race and ethnicity over time
See how cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.45% | 11.82% | 7.41% | 15.47% |
| 2011 | 62.24% | 13.02% | 7.44% | 13.98% |
| 2012 | 61.91% | 12.55% | 7.24% | 14.94% |
| 2013 | 62.06% | 12.40% | 7.23% | 15.14% |
| 2014 | 61.64% | 12.26% | 7.50% | 15.09% |
| 2015 | 61.68% | 12.02% | 7.60% | 15.21% |
| 2016 | 61.36% | 11.67% | 7.53% | 15.67% |
| 2017 | 60.50% | 11.30% | 7.70% | 16.25% |
| 2018 | 61.61% | 11.28% | 7.58% | 15.74% |
| 2019 | 61.66% | 10.87% | 7.94% | 15.67% |
| 2020 | 59.64% | 10.22% | 8.20% | 15.86% |
| 2021 | 58.10% | 10.21% | 8.48% | 17.16% |
Cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american cooks have the lowest average salary at $32,401.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,668 |
| White | $32,714 |
| Black or African American | $32,401 |
| Asian | $33,533 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,261 |
Average cook age
See how the average age of cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Cook age breakdown
The average age of cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the cook population.
Cook age breakdown
| Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
Cook educational attainment
The most common degree for cooks is high school diploma, with 45% of cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 16%.
- High School Diploma, 45%
- Associate, 20%
- Bachelor's, 16%
- Diploma, 13%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Cooks by degree level
| Cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 45% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Bachelor's | 16% |
| Diploma | 13% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Cook jobs you might like
Cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,858 annually. With a Associate degree, cooks earn a median annual income of $33,092 compared to $32,379 for cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,379 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,858 |
| No Education | $32,010 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,092 |
Cook employment statistics
Most cooks work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cooks work.
Cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 13% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 29% |
Cook jobs by company type
Employees with the cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cooks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 22% |
| Private | 73% |
| Government | 2% |
Cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for cooks are hospitality, health care and retail.
Cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 60% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Cook turnover and employment statistics
Cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 cook tenure
The average cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 264,186 cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
Cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 40% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Preparator | 6.78% | 738 |
| Food And Beverage Attendant | 7.02% | 203,747 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 7.68% | 57,420 |
| Assistant Manager/Bartender | 8.43% | 75,001 |
Similar cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Preparator | 6.78% | 738 |
| Food And Beverage Attendant | 7.02% | 203,747 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Bar Back & Bartender | 7.68% | 57,420 |
| Assistant Manager/Bartender | 8.43% | 75,001 |
Foreign languages spoken by cooks
The most common foreign language among cooks is Spanish at 68.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.0% and Italian is the third-most popular at 4.0%.
- Spanish, 68.8%
- French, 9.0%
- Italian, 4.0%
- German, 3.6%
- Chinese, 1.9%
- Other, 12.7%
Cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.8% |
| French | 9.0% |
| Italian | 4.0% |
| German | 3.6% |
| Chinese | 1.9% |
| Other | 12.7% |
