School cafeteria cook demographics and statistics in the US
School cafeteria cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates school cafeteria cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our school cafeteria 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 school cafeteria cooks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 5,385 school cafeteria cooks currently employed in the United States.
- 79.6% of all school cafeteria cooks are women, while 20.4% are men.
- The average school cafeteria cook age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of school cafeteria cooks is White (59.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.3%), Black or African American (7.8%) and Asian (6.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 6% of all school cafeteria cooks are LGBT.
- School cafeteria cooks are 62% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
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School cafeteria cook demographics by:
School cafeteria cook gender statistics
79.6% of school cafeteria cooks are women and 20.4% of school cafeteria cooks are men.
- Female, 79.6%
- Male, 20.4%
School cafeteria cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 79.6% |
| Male | 20.4% |
School cafeteria cook gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,157
Female income
$33,124
School cafeteria cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in school cafeteria cook positions over time. Currently, 79.6% of school cafeteria cooks are female.
School cafeteria cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 18.31% | 81.69% |
| 2011 | 18.60% | 81.40% |
| 2012 | 19.37% | 80.63% |
| 2013 | 19.43% | 80.57% |
| 2014 | 20.38% | 79.62% |
| 2015 | 19.80% | 80.20% |
| 2016 | 20.47% | 79.53% |
| 2017 | 20.50% | 79.50% |
| 2018 | 19.95% | 80.05% |
| 2019 | 19.75% | 80.25% |
| 2020 | 20.34% | 79.66% |
| 2021 | 20.38% | 79.62% |
School cafeteria cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared school cafeteria 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% |
| 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%
School cafeteria cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among school cafeteria cooks is White, which makes up 59.8% of all school cafeteria cooks. Comparatively, 20.3% of school cafeteria cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 7.8% of school cafeteria cooks are Black or African American.
- White, 59.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 20.3%
- Black or African American, 7.8%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
School cafeteria cook race
| School cafeteria cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.3% |
| Black or African American | 7.8% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
School cafeteria cook race and ethnicity over time
See how school cafeteria cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
School cafeteria cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.10% | 9.45% | 5.22% | 18.65% |
| 2011 | 63.89% | 10.64% | 5.26% | 17.16% |
| 2012 | 63.56% | 10.17% | 5.06% | 18.12% |
| 2013 | 63.71% | 10.02% | 5.05% | 18.32% |
| 2014 | 63.29% | 9.89% | 5.32% | 18.27% |
| 2015 | 63.33% | 9.65% | 5.42% | 18.39% |
| 2016 | 63.01% | 9.30% | 5.35% | 18.85% |
| 2017 | 62.16% | 8.93% | 5.52% | 19.43% |
| 2018 | 63.26% | 8.91% | 5.40% | 18.92% |
| 2019 | 63.31% | 8.50% | 5.76% | 18.85% |
| 2020 | 61.29% | 7.85% | 6.01% | 19.04% |
| 2021 | 59.75% | 7.84% | 6.30% | 20.34% |
School cafeteria cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian school cafeteria cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american school cafeteria cooks have the lowest average salary at $34,328.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,759 |
| White | $34,834 |
| Black or African American | $34,328 |
| Asian | $36,172 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,725 |
Average school cafeteria cook age
See how the average age of school cafeteria cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
School cafeteria 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 |
School cafeteria cook age breakdown
The average age of school cafeteria cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the school cafeteria cook population.
School cafeteria cook age breakdown
| School Cafeteria Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
School cafeteria cook educational attainment
The most common degree for school cafeteria cooks is high school diploma, with 48% of school cafeteria cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 16%.
- High School Diploma, 48%
- Associate, 18%
- Bachelor's, 16%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 14%
School cafeteria cooks by degree level
| School cafeteria cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 48% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Bachelor's | 16% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 14% |
School cafeteria cook jobs you might like
School cafeteria cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, school cafeteria cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $36,706 annually. With a Associate degree, school cafeteria cooks earn a median annual income of $35,449 compared to $34,292 for school cafeteria cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,292 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,706 |
| No Education | $33,698 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,449 |
School cafeteria cook employment statistics
Most school cafeteria cooks work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where school cafeteria cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where school cafeteria cooks work.
School cafeteria cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 15% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 26% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
School cafeteria cook jobs by company type
Employees with the school cafeteria cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most school cafeteria cooks prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
School cafeteria cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 62% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 30% |
| Government | 2% |
School cafeteria cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for school cafeteria cooks are education, manufacturing and hospitality.
School cafeteria cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 57% |
| Manufacturing | 11% |
| Hospitality | 9% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
School cafeteria cook turnover and employment statistics
School cafeteria cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for school cafeteria cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
School cafeteria cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | School cafeteria 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 school cafeteria cook tenure
The average school cafeteria cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 169 school cafeteria cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
School cafeteria cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
School cafeteria cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of school cafeteria 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 |
|---|---|---|
| School Cafeteria Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Bakery Clerk | 6.78% | 67,778 |
| Shift Leader And Server | 7.02% | 145,084 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Deli Associate | 7.36% | 117,130 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Barista/Shift Leader | 8.43% | 132,721 |
Similar school cafeteria cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Bakery Clerk | 6.78% | 67,778 |
| Shift Leader And Server | 7.02% | 145,084 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Deli Associate | 7.36% | 117,130 |
| Bartender | 7.68% | 57,518 |
| Barista/Shift Leader | 8.43% | 132,721 |
Foreign languages spoken by school cafeteria cooks
- Spanish, 100.0%
School cafeteria cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 100.0% |
