Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Cooks, All Other:
56.7%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
High
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Low
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Limited data sources are available, or existing sources show notable disagreement on the outlook for this occupation.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forCooks, All Other
$36,210 median salary•3,700 annual openings•SOC Code: 35-2019.00
Cooks, All Other are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 4 sources.
Cooking is labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI and robots are starting to handle repetitive tasks like frying and slicing, the creative, intuitive, and hospitality-driven parts of the job remain very hard to automate. The U.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysis
Chat with Coach
Latest news
More career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is mostly resilient
Cooking is labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI and robots are starting to handle repetitive tasks like frying and slicing, the creative, intuitive, and hospitality-driven parts of the job remain very hard to automate. The U.
Read full analysisLearn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Cooks, All Other
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Cooks, All Other jobs?
If you've ever pictured a robot flipping burgers next to a human cook, that future is already here in some kitchens — but it's still pretty limited. Miso Robotics' Flippy robot, an AI-powered arm, already works alongside short-order cooks at chains like White Castle and Jack in the Box, where it can fry and portion more than 40 menu items [1], and similar machines are showing up making fried rice, pasta, and salads. Salad chain Sweetgreen invested heavily in an automated "Infinite Kitchen," though it recently sold that business to Wonder for $186 million as it refocused on profitability [2].
On the software side, cooks are being augmented more than replaced: industry analysts predict 2026 will be the year of "invisible AI [3]" — systems that handle inventory forecasting, recipe suggestions, and menu planning behind the scenes. The American Culinary Federation even launched a Specialized Certificate in "AI for the Modern Chef" [4] to help cooks use these tools. Chefs interviewed by Restaurant Business say robots are best for "repetitive and precise [5]" tasks like slicing and timing, freeing humans for creativity and hospitality.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Cooks, All Other?
Adoption is happening, but slowly. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects employment of cooks to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than average [6], suggesting machines aren't replacing people anytime soon. Why the slow rollout?
Restaurant kitchens are cramped and unpredictable, and an MIT-led study found that more than 75% of the time it is cheaper for companies to keep humans than to automate jobs with AI [1]. On the other hand, labor shortages dominate restaurant concerns for 2026 [7], and operators see AI as relief. The good news for young cooks: human skills like creativity, intuition, plating, and hospitality remain hard to automate — and being curious about AI tools could make you more valuable, not less.
Sources
Will AI replace Cooks, All Other?
No. We don't think AI will replace Cooks, All Other, though we do expect the job to change.
Our 56.7% AI Resilience Score reflects a role that is holding up well, even as automation creeps into kitchens. Robots like Miso Robotics' Flippy already handle frying and portioning at chains like White Castle and Jack in the Box [1], and AI tools are quietly managing inventory and menu planning behind the scenes [3]. But these systems target repetitive, precise tasks. The creativity, intuition, plating, and hospitality that define good cooking remain genuinely hard to automate.
The economics also slow things down. An MIT-led study found that more than 75% of the time it is cheaper for companies to keep humans than to automate with AI [1], and restaurant kitchens are cramped and unpredictable environments that robots still struggle with. The BLS projects cook employment to grow 5% through 2034 [6], which suggests displacement is not imminent.
Where we do see risk is on the earnings side. Wages in this field are modest, and that limits long-term financial flexibility. The smart move is to lean into AI as a tool rather than a threat. The American Culinary Federation now offers a certificate in AI for chefs [4], and cooks who understand these tools will likely be the most valuable ones in the kitchen.
Sources
Help us improve this report.
Tell us if this analysis feels accurate or we missed something.
Share your feedback
Latest AI news for Cooks, All Other
These articles highlight how AI is reshaping the job landscape, including careers like "Cooks, All Other." Lisa Cook from the Fed emphasizes that while AI may boost productivity, it could also lead to short-term unemployment, urging cooks to adapt and embrace new technologies in their kitchens. The story of a teenager researching AI's impact on jobs shows that awareness and curiosity about how AI affects various roles can empower future cooks to innovate and remain resilient in a changing job market. Embracing AI can open new opportunities in culinary creativity and efficiency.
AI-driven cognitive atrophy is recoverable. Cognitive foreclosure may not be.
www.psychologytoday.com • 3/22/2026
Discussions of cognitive offloading often miss a critical distinction: What AI does to a 45-year-old's brain is categorically different from...
The debate at the Fed about the impact of AI
finance.yahoo.com • 3/1/2026
Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook said on Feb. 24 that artificial intelligence could have "profound implications for monetary policy.".
Cook: AI's labor impact may take years to measure
www.americanbanker.com • 2/24/2026
Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said AI could boost productivity, but warned the transition may raise unemployment.
Fed's Cook says AI triggering big changes, sees possible short-term unemployment rise
www.reuters.com • 2/24/2026
Artificial intelligence has triggered a generational shift in the U.S. labor market and could lead to a possible rise in the unemployment...
This teenager who wrote a research paper on how AI could impact teen jobs
www.npr.org • 1/15/2026
A 17-year-old in California who got curious about the impact of AI on typical teen jobs. She embarked on an ambitious economic research...
More Career Info
Career: Cooks, All Other
They prepare and cook a wide variety of foods in different settings, ensuring meals are tasty and meet customer or client needs.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$36,210
Jobs (2024)
24,000
Growth (2024-34)
+5.5%
Annual Openings
3,700
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
