Who's on the clock?

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Restaurant Cooks

Side by side: how much of the shift AI and robots touch, pay, outlook and training.

Time card for chefs and head cooks: 10m of an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robotsTime card: Chefs and Head Cooks →

Home / Compare

Chefs and head cooks or restaurant cooks: which will AI change more? AI and robots touch about the same share of the day in both jobs: 10m for chefs and head cooks and 7m for restaurant cooks. Chefs and head cooks earn more, a median of $62,470 against $37,390.

Chefs and Head Cooks
10mof an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robots
  • 7h 50mDone by people
  • 0mPeople do it with AI's help
  • 10mAI mostly does it alone
  • 0mRobots have done it somewhere
Median pay
$62,470
U.S. workers
200,000
Outlook to 2035
+6.6%
Openings a year
25,000
Typical preparation
Vocational school or associate's degree
See the full time card →
Restaurant Cooks
7mof an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robotsLess AI time
  • 7h 53mDone by people
  • 0mPeople do it with AI's help
  • 7mAI mostly does it alone
  • 0mRobots have done it somewhere
Median pay
$37,390
U.S. workers
1.4 million
Outlook to 2035
+12.1%
Openings a year
219,000
Typical preparation
High school diploma, some training
See the full time card →

Chefs and Head Cooks

Where AI or robots show up most

  • Record production or operational data on specified forms. 10m

Biggest tasks still done by people

  • Prepare and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions. 2h 14m
  • Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation. 1h 17m
  • Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met. 31m

Restaurant Cooks

Where AI or robots show up most

  • Plan and price menu items. 6m

Biggest tasks still done by people

  • Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience. 1h 23m
  • Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons. 51m
  • Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices. 45m

Swap in a different job Highlighted numbers are the higher of the two. Hours are estimates from each job's time card.