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Medium Risk Stable

Cook/Line Cook

Cooks and line cooks prepare meals in restaurants, following recipes and ensuring food quality, safety, and timely service during busy shifts.

$36,000
Median Salary
1.4 million
Total Employed
3
Career Transitions
AI Risk Score
0 %
Medium Risk

Higher risk than 78% of jobs in our database

How we calculate this score →
Pivot Score 59/100

Moderate pivot potential — some transitions require new skills.

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Automation Risk Analysis

Real-time market signals

AI Can Do This Today
6/10 High
Job Postings
-5%
since 2020
Automation Timeline
4-7 years
until major impact

Why This Job Faces Uncertainty

Robotic kitchen assistants handling repetitive tasks

Automated fryers and grills in fast-casual chains

Ghost kitchens optimizing for efficiency over craft

Fine dining and creative cooking still require human touch

Leaving This Role: 400K-600K in fast food and casual dining
Competition Level: Moderate - skilled cooks can advance
Your Head Start: 3-5 years - develop leadership and specialized skills

Don't panic. Here's your plan.

Get Your Personal Action Plan

Job Market Data

Real trends from multiple job platforms

Moderate Demand
Current Employment
1.5M
BLS (2026)
Projected Growth
0%
2024-2034
Annual Openings
0
per year (growth + replacements)

Listing Trends

4 sources tracked
🇺🇸 United States
4.4K listings
Adzuna (4.4K)
🇩🇪 Germany
22.8K listings
Adzuna (11.2K) Arbeitsagentur (11.7K)
🇫🇷 France
20.3K listings
Adzuna (10.1K) France Travail (10.2K)
🇪🇸 Spain
6 listings
Adzuna (6)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
488 listings
Adzuna (211) Reed (277)
Sources: AdzunaArbeitsagenturFrance TravailReed
Updated Feb 25, 2026

Career Transitions

Safe career paths based on your existing skills

Sous Chef

12-24 months
35%
Salary Change +39%
Skill Overlap
85%

Skills to Learn

Menu DevelopmentKitchen ManagementStaff TrainingCost Control

Food Service Manager

18-36 months
28%
Salary Change +72%
Skill Overlap
70%

Skills to Learn

Operations ManagementBudget ControlFood SafetyTeam Leadership

Culinary Instructor

6-12 months
20%
Salary Change +25%
Skill Overlap
60%

Skills to Learn

TeachingCurriculum DevelopmentCommunicationCulinary Expertise

Essential Reading

Deepen your knowledge with these recommended books.

The Professional Chef

Culinary Institute of America

"CIA's definitive culinary textbook. The foundation for serious culinary careers."

Get This Book

Kitchen Confidential

Anthony Bourdain

"Legendary chef's brutally honest kitchen memoir. Understand restaurant culture from the inside."

Get This Book

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

Harold McGee

"The 'bible' of kitchen science. Alton Brown said 'I know of no chef worth his salt who doesn't keep a copy.' Explains the why behind every technique – from Maillard reactions to emulsions – knowledge that separates great line cooks from those who just follow recipes."

Get This Book

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't affect our recommendations.

Recommended Courses

Start your transition today with these courses

★ Start Here Required Certification

ServSafe Manager Certification

ServSafe

Duration 8 hours
Price $179
Rating ★ 4.6

Skills You'll Learn

Food SafetySanitationHACCPCompliance
Enroll Now →

Culinary Arts Professional

Rouxbe

Duration 6 months
Price $299
Rating ★ 4.7

Skills You'll Learn

Cooking TechniquesRecipe DevelopmentPlatingKitchen Organization
Enroll Now →

Kitchen Management

Coursera

Duration 4 weeks
Price Free (audit)
Rating ★ 4.4

Skills You'll Learn

Inventory ManagementCost ControlStaff SchedulingQuality Control
Enroll Now →

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