Restaurant cook
Prepares, seasons, and cooks dishes like soups, meats, vegetables, and desserts in restaurants, and may order supplies, price items, or plan menus.
Will AI replace restaurant cook jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Medium. More AI overlap than 60 in 100 jobs. AI helps with some tasks, like paperwork or first drafts. People still do the core of the job. 1% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Plan and price menu items
- Keep records and accounts
- Work with supervisors to plan menus based on costs and special events
What stays human
- Keep food at the right temperature by setting ovens, broilers, and grills
- Inspect and clean prep areas and equipment to keep food handling safe
- Portion, arrange, and garnish food and pass it to servers or customers
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: +12.1%. Typical pay: $37,390 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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