Kitchen cook demographics and statistics in the US
Kitchen cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates kitchen cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our kitchen 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 kitchen cooks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,433,841 kitchen cooks currently employed in the United States.
- 34.2% of all kitchen cooks are women, while 65.8% are men.
- The average kitchen cook age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of kitchen cooks is White (58.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.7%), Asian (9.1%) and Black or African American (8.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 6% of all kitchen cooks are LGBT.
- Kitchen cooks are 68% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Kitchen cook demographics by:
Kitchen cook gender statistics
34.2% of kitchen cooks are women and 65.8% of kitchen cooks are men.
- Male, 65.8%
- Female, 34.2%
Kitchen cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 65.8% |
| Female | 34.2% |
Kitchen cook gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,454
Female income
$31,314
Kitchen cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in kitchen cook positions over time. Currently, 34.2% of kitchen cooks are female.
Kitchen cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.74% | 37.26% |
| 2011 | 63.19% | 36.81% |
| 2012 | 64.34% | 35.66% |
| 2013 | 64.44% | 35.56% |
| 2014 | 65.79% | 34.21% |
| 2015 | 64.96% | 35.04% |
| 2016 | 65.91% | 34.09% |
| 2017 | 65.95% | 34.05% |
| 2018 | 65.18% | 34.82% |
| 2019 | 64.90% | 35.10% |
| 2020 | 65.73% | 34.27% |
| 2021 | 65.79% | 34.21% |
Kitchen cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared kitchen 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% |
| Kitchen Cook | 66% | 34% |
| 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%
Kitchen cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among kitchen cooks is White, which makes up 58.8% of all kitchen cooks. Comparatively, 17.7% of kitchen cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 9.1% of kitchen cooks are Asian.
- White, 58.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.7%
- Asian, 9.1%
- Black or African American, 8.5%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Kitchen cook race
| Kitchen cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.7% |
| Asian | 9.1% |
| Black or African American | 8.5% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Kitchen cook race and ethnicity over time
See how kitchen cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Kitchen cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.16% | 10.11% | 8.00% | 16.06% |
| 2011 | 62.96% | 11.30% | 8.04% | 14.57% |
| 2012 | 62.63% | 10.83% | 7.84% | 15.53% |
| 2013 | 62.78% | 10.68% | 7.83% | 15.73% |
| 2014 | 62.36% | 10.54% | 8.10% | 15.68% |
| 2015 | 62.40% | 10.30% | 8.20% | 15.80% |
| 2016 | 62.08% | 9.95% | 8.13% | 16.26% |
| 2017 | 61.22% | 9.58% | 8.30% | 16.84% |
| 2018 | 62.33% | 9.56% | 8.18% | 16.33% |
| 2019 | 62.38% | 9.15% | 8.54% | 16.26% |
| 2020 | 60.36% | 8.50% | 8.79% | 16.45% |
| 2021 | 58.82% | 8.49% | 9.08% | 17.75% |
Kitchen cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian kitchen cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american kitchen cooks have the lowest average salary at $31,992.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,233 |
| White | $32,275 |
| Black or African American | $31,992 |
| Asian | $33,013 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $32,768 |
Average kitchen cook age
See how the average age of kitchen cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Kitchen 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 |
Kitchen cook age breakdown
The average age of kitchen cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the kitchen cook population.
Kitchen cook age breakdown
| Kitchen Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
Kitchen cook educational attainment
The most common degree for kitchen cooks is high school diploma, with 44% of kitchen cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 21% and bachelor's degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 44%
- Bachelor's, 21%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Kitchen cooks by degree level
| Kitchen cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 44% |
| Bachelor's | 21% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Kitchen cook jobs you might like
Kitchen cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, kitchen cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,305 annually. With a Associate degree, kitchen cooks earn a median annual income of $32,615 compared to $31,973 for kitchen cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,973 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,305 |
| No Education | $31,639 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,615 |
Kitchen cook employment statistics
Most kitchen cooks work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where kitchen cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where kitchen cooks work.
Kitchen cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Kitchen cook jobs by company type
Employees with the kitchen cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most kitchen cooks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Kitchen cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 21% |
| Private | 68% |
| Government | 3% |
Kitchen cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for kitchen cooks are hospitality, retail and education.
Kitchen cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 52% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Education | 7% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Kitchen cook turnover and employment statistics
Kitchen cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for kitchen cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Kitchen cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | Kitchen 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 kitchen cook tenure
The average kitchen cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,039 kitchen cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
Kitchen cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 39% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Kitchen cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of kitchen 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Nutrition Helper | 6.78% | 14,664 |
| Beverage Server | 7.02% | 79,100 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Associate Food Scientist | 7.36% | 160,215 |
| Head Bartender | 7.68% | 34,561 |
| Bakery Manager | 8.43% | 97,468 |
Similar kitchen cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition Helper | 6.78% | 14,664 |
| Beverage Server | 7.02% | 79,100 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Associate Food Scientist | 7.36% | 160,215 |
| Head Bartender | 7.68% | 34,561 |
| Bakery Manager | 8.43% | 97,468 |
Foreign languages spoken by kitchen cooks
The most common foreign language among kitchen cooks is Spanish at 58.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.5% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 5.2%.
- Spanish, 58.4%
- French, 6.5%
- Japanese, 5.2%
- Korean, 5.2%
- Italian, 5.2%
- Other, 19.5%
Kitchen cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 58.4% |
| French | 6.5% |
| Japanese | 5.2% |
| Korean | 5.2% |
| Italian | 5.2% |
| Other | 19.5% |
