Cooks, Private Household

Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Job Training

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Examples

These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.

Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.

Salary Salary

Salary at 10th Percentile: $27K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $29K
Median Salary: $32K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $47K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $98K

Demand
Career Demand by State Career Demand by State Legend
Core Tasks

Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.

Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.

Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.

Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.

Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.

Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.

Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.

Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.

Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.

Create and explore new cuisines.

Serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests.

Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.

Travel with employers to vacation homes to provide meal preparation at those locations.

Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Accounting software
Intuit QuickBooks
Calendar and scheduling software
Work scheduling software
Data base user interface and query software
Cooking e-books
Electronic mail software
Email software
Internet browser software
Web browser software
Inventory management software
Food inventory software
Video creation and editing software
YouTube
Web page creation and editing software
WordPress
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Components for information technology or broadcasting or telecommunications
Thumb drives
Computer Equipment and Accessories
Computer laser printers
Domestic appliances
Dishwashers
Domestic kitchenware and kitchen supplies
Bakers' knives
Institutional food services equipment
Icing piping tips
Measuring and observing and testing instruments
Kitchen rulers
Office machines and their supplies and accessories
Labelmakers
Personal safety and protection
Butchers' gloves
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
88%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Food Production
73%
Importance

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Sales and Marketing
68%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Administration and Management
65%
Importance

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

English Language
63%
Importance

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Clerical
58%
Importance

Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Production and Processing
58%
Importance

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mathematics
55%
Importance

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Economics and Accounting
50%
Importance

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Communications and Media
49%
Importance

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Top 10 Skills
Critical Thinking
65%
Importance

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Service Orientation
65%
Importance

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Management of Material Resources
63%
Importance

Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Active Learning
60%
Importance

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Active Listening
60%
Importance

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Judgment and Decision Making
60%
Importance

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring
60%
Importance

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension
60%
Importance

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Social Perceptiveness
60%
Importance

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Speaking
60%
Importance

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Top 10 Abilities
Near Vision
68%
Importance

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness
65%
Importance

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Finger Dexterity
65%
Importance

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Information Ordering
65%
Importance

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Manual Dexterity
65%
Importance

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Problem Sensitivity
65%
Importance

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Category Flexibility
63%
Importance

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Deductive Reasoning
63%
Importance

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Fluency of Ideas
63%
Importance

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Multilimb Coordination
63%
Importance

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

Top 10 Work Activities
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
79%
Importance

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Getting Information
77%
Importance

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
74%
Importance

Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources
72%
Importance

Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Thinking Creatively
71%
Importance

Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
68%
Importance

Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
66%
Importance

Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
65%
Importance

Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Handling and Moving Objects
65%
Importance

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Performing General Physical Activities
65%
Importance

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

Detailed Work Activities

Prepare foods for cooking or serving.

Compile data or documentation.

Plan menu options.

Order materials, supplies, or equipment.

Prepare breads or doughs.

Cook foods.

Store supplies or goods in kitchens or storage areas.

Create new recipes or food presentations.

Coordinate activities of food service staff.

Plan special events.

Serve food or beverages.

Work Context
Spend Time Standing

How much does this job require standing?

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

Structured versus Unstructured Work

To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

Freedom to Make Decisions

How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Time Pressure

How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

Electronic Mail

How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets

How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?

Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings

How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?

Frequency of Decision Making

How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Education
Majors
Major
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Interests
Artistic
91%
Importance

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Realistic
67%
Importance

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional
58%
Importance

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Enterprising
53%
Importance

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Social
39%
Importance

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Investigative
29%
Importance

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Top 10 Work Styles
Dependability
95%
Importance

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity
95%
Importance

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Independence
92%
Importance

Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Attention to Detail
91%
Importance

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation
84%
Importance

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Concern for Others
81%
Importance

Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Initiative
81%
Importance

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Self Control
80%
Importance

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Achievement/Effort
79%
Importance

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Innovation
78%
Importance

Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Work Values
Independence
58%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Achievement
53%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Relationships
53%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Working Conditions
43%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Recognition
39%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Support
29%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.