Lunch cook demographics and statistics in the US
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Lunch cook demographics by:
Lunch cook gender statistics
42.6% of lunch cooks are women and 57.4% of lunch cooks are men.
- Male, 57.4%
- Female, 42.6%
Lunch cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 57.4% |
| Female | 42.6% |
Lunch cook gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$33,847
Female income
$32,652
Lunch cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in lunch cook positions over time. Currently, 42.6% of lunch cooks are female.
Lunch cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 54.09% | 45.91% |
| 2011 | 54.56% | 45.44% |
| 2012 | 55.80% | 44.20% |
| 2013 | 55.91% | 44.09% |
| 2014 | 57.36% | 42.64% |
| 2015 | 56.47% | 43.53% |
| 2016 | 57.50% | 42.50% |
| 2017 | 57.54% | 42.46% |
| 2018 | 56.71% | 43.29% |
| 2019 | 56.40% | 43.60% |
| 2020 | 57.30% | 42.70% |
| 2021 | 57.36% | 42.64% |
Lunch cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared lunch 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% |
| Lunch Cook | 57% | 43% |
| 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%
Lunch cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among lunch cooks is White, which makes up 62.1% of all lunch cooks. Comparatively, 15.2% of lunch cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 8.6% of lunch cooks are Black or African American.
- White, 62.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.2%
- Black or African American, 8.6%
- Asian, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Lunch cook race
| Lunch cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.2% |
| Black or African American | 8.6% |
| Asian | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Lunch cook race and ethnicity over time
See how lunch cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Lunch cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.44% | 10.19% | 7.02% | 13.54% |
| 2011 | 66.24% | 11.38% | 7.06% | 12.05% |
| 2012 | 65.91% | 10.91% | 6.86% | 13.01% |
| 2013 | 66.06% | 10.76% | 6.84% | 13.21% |
| 2014 | 65.63% | 10.63% | 7.12% | 13.16% |
| 2015 | 65.67% | 10.38% | 7.22% | 13.28% |
| 2016 | 65.36% | 10.03% | 7.15% | 13.74% |
| 2017 | 64.50% | 9.66% | 7.32% | 14.32% |
| 2018 | 65.60% | 9.64% | 7.20% | 13.81% |
| 2019 | 65.66% | 9.23% | 7.56% | 13.74% |
| 2020 | 63.64% | 8.59% | 7.81% | 13.93% |
| 2021 | 62.10% | 8.58% | 8.10% | 15.23% |
Lunch cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian lunch cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american lunch cooks have the lowest average salary at $33,363.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $33,615 |
| White | $33,659 |
| Black or African American | $33,363 |
| Asian | $34,433 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,176 |
Average lunch cook age
See how the average age of lunch cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Lunch 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 |
Lunch cook age breakdown
The average age of lunch cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the lunch cook population.
Lunch cook age breakdown
| Lunch Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
Lunch cook educational attainment
The most common degree for lunch cooks is associate degree, with 36% of lunch cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 31% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
- Associate, 36%
- High School Diploma, 31%
- Bachelor's, 18%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Lunch cooks by degree level
| Lunch cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 36% |
| High School Diploma | 31% |
| Bachelor's | 18% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Lunch cook jobs you might like
Lunch cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, lunch cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $34,739 annually. With a Associate degree, lunch cooks earn a median annual income of $34,016 compared to $33,342 for lunch cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,342 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,739 |
| No Education | $32,992 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,016 |
Lunch cook employment statistics
Most lunch cooks work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where lunch cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where lunch cooks work.
Lunch cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 14% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Lunch cook jobs by company type
Employees with the lunch cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most lunch cooks prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Lunch cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 30% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 2% |
Lunch cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for lunch cooks are hospitality, education and health care.
Lunch cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 29% |
| Education | 26% |
| Health Care | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
Lunch cook turnover and employment statistics
Lunch cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for lunch cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lunch cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | Lunch 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 lunch cook tenure
The average lunch cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 559 lunch cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
Lunch cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Lunch cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of lunch 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Bakery Helper | 6.78% | 17,886 |
| Server And Hostess | 7.02% | 97,109 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Salad Bar Attendant | 7.36% | 48,659 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Kitchen Manager/Cook | 8.43% | 27,963 |
Similar lunch cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Bakery Helper | 6.78% | 17,886 |
| Server And Hostess | 7.02% | 97,109 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Salad Bar Attendant | 7.36% | 48,659 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Kitchen Manager/Cook | 8.43% | 27,963 |
Foreign languages spoken by lunch cooks
The most common foreign language among lunch cooks is French at 23.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Spanish at 23.1% and Italian is the third-most popular at 15.4%.
- French, 23.1%
- Spanish, 23.1%
- Italian, 15.4%
- Swedish, 7.7%
- Hawaiian, 7.7%
- Other, 23.0%
Lunch cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| French | 23.1% |
| Spanish | 23.1% |
| Italian | 15.4% |
| Swedish | 7.7% |
| Hawaiian | 7.7% |
| Other | 23.0% |
