Career Explorer Food and hospitality
Human edge, growing
Chefs and head cooks
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 93% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +6.6% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision and emotional intelligence.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $62,470
- Job growth to 2035
- +6.6%
- Openings a year
- 25,200
- People doing it (2025)
- 220,000
- Usual route in
- High school diploma
Where people already use AI for this work
- Develop recipes or menus
- Purchase goods or services
- Monitor individual behavior or performance
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures
- Inspect completed work or finished products
- Train others on operational or work procedures
What the work looks like
- Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
- Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
- Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
- Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
- Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as more senior living facilities hire chefs and head cooks to improve food options at their facilities.
- More of these jobs, as traditional movie theaters continue to expand their food and beverage offerings and the number of luxury or boutique movie theaters continues to increase.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologistsHuman edge, growing, Index 98, +7.7%
- Animal trainersHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +4.2%
- Makeup artists, theatrical and performanceHuman edge, growing, Index 94, +6.1%
- Exercise trainers and group fitness instructorsHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +7.3%
Also known as: Chef, Executive Chef (Ex Chef), Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Banquet Chef, Cook, Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Sous Chef.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.