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Dietary cook demographics and statistics in the US

Dietary cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates dietary cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our dietary 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 dietary cooks after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 369,849 dietary cooks currently employed in the United States.
  • 64.7% of all dietary cooks are women, while 35.3% are men.
  • The average dietary cook age is 38 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of dietary cooks is White (61.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Black or African American (9.1%) and Asian (8.2%).
  • In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
  • 6% of all dietary cooks are LGBT.
  • Dietary cooks are 80% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
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Dietary cook demographics by:

Dietary cook gender statistics

64.7% of dietary cooks are women and 35.3% of dietary cooks are men.
  • Female, 64.7%
  • Male, 35.3%

Dietary cook gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Female64.7%
Male35.3%

Dietary cook gender pay gap

Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$28,333
female-income
Female income
$27,233

Dietary cook gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in dietary cook positions over time. Currently, 64.7% of dietary cooks are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Dietary cook gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201032.37%67.63%
201132.79%67.21%
201233.90%66.10%
201333.99%66.01%
201435.34%64.66%
201534.51%65.49%
201635.47%64.53%
201735.51%64.49%
201834.73%65.27%
201934.44%65.56%
202035.28%64.72%
202135.34%64.66%

Dietary cook related jobs gender ratio

We compared dietary 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 titleMaleFemale
Diet Clerk13%87%
Dietary Clerk16%84%
School Cafeteria Cook20%80%
Dietary Cook35%65%
Line Cook/Dishwasher84%16%
Vacuum Kettle Cook87%13%
Saucier91%9%

Dietary cook demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among dietary cooks is White, which makes up 61.7% of all dietary cooks. Comparatively, 15.1% of dietary cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 9.1% of dietary cooks are Black or African American.
  • White, 61.7%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
  • Black or African American, 9.1%
  • Asian, 8.2%
  • Unknown, 4.8%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%

Dietary cook race

Dietary cook racePercentages
White61.7%
Hispanic or Latino15.1%
Black or African American9.1%
Asian8.2%
Unknown4.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.1%

Dietary cook race and ethnicity over time

See how dietary cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Dietary cook race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201066.03%10.71%7.08%13.36%
201165.82%11.90%7.12%11.87%
201265.50%11.43%6.92%12.83%
201365.64%11.28%6.91%13.03%
201465.22%11.14%7.18%12.99%
201565.26%10.90%7.28%13.10%
201664.94%10.55%7.21%13.56%
201764.09%10.18%7.38%14.14%
201865.19%10.16%7.26%13.63%
201965.24%9.75%7.62%13.56%
202063.22%9.10%7.87%13.75%
202161.68%9.09%8.16%15.05%

Dietary cook wage gap by race

According to our data, asian dietary cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american dietary cooks have the lowest average salary at $27,887.
$29,000
$28,000
$27,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$28,119
White$28,159
Black or African American$27,887
Asian$28,874
Hispanic or Latino$28,637

Average dietary cook age

See how the average age of dietary cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Dietary cook age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American3545
Unknown2736
Asian4249.5
Hispanic or Latino3542
White2944
American Indian and Alaska Native31.549

Dietary cook age breakdown

The average age of dietary cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the dietary cook population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Dietary cook age breakdown

Dietary Cook YearsPercentages
40+ years45%
30-40 years22%
20-30 years26%

Dietary cook educational attainment

The most common degree for dietary cooks is high school diploma, with 41% of dietary cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • High School Diploma, 41%
  • Associate, 27%
  • Diploma, 14%
  • Bachelor's, 11%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

Dietary cooks by degree level

Dietary cook degreePercentages
High School Diploma41%
Associate27%
Diploma14%
Bachelor's11%
Other Degrees7%

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Dietary cook wage gap by degree level

According to the data, dietary cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,157 annually. With a Associate degree, dietary cooks earn a median annual income of $28,489 compared to $27,868 for dietary cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
$30,000
$29,000
$28,000
$27,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
No Education
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$27,868
Bachelor's Degree$29,157
No Education$27,546
Some College/ Associate Degree$28,489

Dietary cook employment statistics

Most dietary cooks work for a private in the health care industry.

Company size where dietary cooks work

Below, you can see the size of companies where dietary cooks work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Dietary cook jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees9%
50 - 100 employees20%
100 - 500 employees31%
500 - 1,000 employees10%
1,000 - 10,000 employees21%
> 10,000 employees10%

Dietary cook jobs by company type

Employees with the dietary cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most dietary cooks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Dietary cook jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education3%
Public9%
Private80%
Government8%

Dietary cook jobs by industry

The most common industries for dietary cooks are health care, government and professional.

Health Care

Government

Professional

Hospitality

Manufacturing

Dietary cook turnover and employment statistics

Dietary cook unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for dietary cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Dietary cook unemployment rate by year

YearDietary cook unemployment rate
201013.74%
201113.72%
201212.24%
201311.55%
20149.93%
20158.76%
20168.73%
20177.83%
20187.48%
20196.91%
202010.00%
202110.11%

Average dietary cook tenure

The average dietary cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,285 dietary cooks resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Dietary cook tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year26%
1-2 years32%
3-4 years15%
5-7 years16%
8-10 years5%
11+ years7%

Dietary cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of dietary cooks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Dietary Cook5.53%-
Raw Shellfish Preparer6.78%614
Cocktail Waitress7.02%77,429
Party Hostess7.29%9,255
Ice Cream Server7.36%73,025
Mixologist7.68%53,872
Banquet Captain8.43%60,883

Similar dietary cook jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Raw Shellfish Preparer6.78%614
Cocktail Waitress7.02%77,429
Party Hostess7.29%9,255
Ice Cream Server7.36%73,025
Mixologist7.68%53,872
Banquet Captain8.43%60,883

Foreign languages spoken by dietary cooks

The most common foreign language among dietary cooks is Spanish at 67.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.7% and Tagalog is the third-most popular at 6.5%.
  • Spanish, 67.7%
  • French, 9.7%
  • Tagalog, 6.5%
  • Filipino, 3.2%
  • German, 3.2%
  • Other, 9.7%

Dietary cook languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish67.7%
French9.7%
Tagalog6.5%
Filipino3.2%
German3.2%
Other9.7%

Dietary cook jobs

Dietary cook location demographics

The amount you can make as a dietary cook can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of dietary cooks is $32,010. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where do dietary cooks earn the most?

Dietary cooks earn the most in Utah, where the average dietary cook salary is $38,765. The map here shows where dietary cooks earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Dietary Cooks?

By looking through more than 3,285 resumes, we found that the most popular places for dietary cooks are Indianapolis, IN and Saint Louis, MO.
Number of Dietary Cooks

Dietary cook jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1Texas5,127$22,931
2Florida3,987$24,036
3California3,760$34,327
4Ohio2,102$25,745
5Illinois2,034$23,861
6Pennsylvania1,985$28,112
7North Carolina1,970$27,111
8Georgia1,825$26,436
9Tennessee1,671$26,744
10New York1,664$31,597
11Indiana1,592$30,854
12Michigan1,388$27,699
13Missouri1,293$23,468
14Virginia1,288$27,385
15Arizona1,240$31,327
16Colorado1,147$29,621
17Minnesota1,049$28,429
18New Jersey1,005$25,496
19Massachusetts993$34,024
20South Carolina976$24,865
21Kentucky963$26,809
22Maryland873$21,602
23Oklahoma862$27,580
24Louisiana846$21,307
25Wisconsin807$26,266
26Washington776$27,516
27Alabama748$27,027
28Kansas743$23,750
29Arkansas662$22,731
30Iowa643$25,286
31Mississippi608$34,166
32Utah503$38,765
33Oregon502$30,840
34Connecticut409$27,628
35Nevada383$31,945
36New Mexico362$24,900
37Nebraska311$35,601
38West Virginia267$26,848
39Idaho262$34,575
40Montana186$28,670
41Maine182$32,637
42New Hampshire180$29,483
43Delaware142$27,890
44Rhode Island125$29,275
45North Dakota121$35,989
46Alaska119$38,408
47South Dakota110$27,441
48Hawaii99$31,489
49Wyoming96$29,602
50District of Columbia80$27,638
51Vermont65$33,523

Where are dietary cooks in high demand?

Dietary cooks are in high demand in Garden City, KS. There are currently 11 job openings for dietary cooks here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country dietary cooks are in the most demand.
Jobs openings

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