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What is a school cafeteria cook and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a school cafeteria cook. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.04 an hour? That's $33,367 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 419,300 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreSchool Cafeteria CookUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,367

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.10%

Asian 6.30%

Black or African American 7.84%

Hispanic or Latino 20.34%

Unknown 4.67%

White 59.75%

Gender

female 79.62%

male 20.38%

Age - 37
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

School cafeteria cook career paths

Key steps to become a school cafeteria cook

  1. Explore school cafeteria cook education requirements

    Most common school cafeteria cook degrees

    High School Diploma

    48.0 %

    Associate

    18.0 %

    Bachelor's

    16.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific school cafeteria cook skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Food Handling53.71%
    Kitchen Equipment20.39%
    Safety Standards9.71%
    CPR7.53%
    HACCP3.57%
  3. Complete relevant school cafeteria cook training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New school cafeteria cooks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a school cafeteria cook based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real school cafeteria cook resumes.
  4. Research school cafeteria cook duties and responsibilities

    • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
    • Ensure customers convenience are met/exceed by accommodating and notifying customers of ingredients that may trigger food allergies or intolerance.
    • Manage inventory and purchasing of groceries.
  5. Prepare your school cafeteria cook resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your school cafeteria cook resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a school cafeteria cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable school cafeteria cook resume templates

    Build a professional school cafeteria cook resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your school cafeteria cook resume.
    School Cafeteria Cook Resume
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    School Cafeteria Cook Resume
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    School Cafeteria Cook Resume
    School Cafeteria Cook Resume
  6. Apply for school cafeteria cook jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a school cafeteria cook job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first school cafeteria cook job

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Average school cafeteria cook salary

The average school cafeteria cook salary in the United States is $33,367 per year or $16 per hour. School cafeteria cook salaries range between $23,000 and $47,000 per year.

Average school cafeteria cook salary
$33,367 Yearly
$16.04 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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