How much does a Cooks, Private Household make?

The median annual wage for Cooks, Private Household is $47,940 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35). The lowest 10 percent earn about $36,090 and the highest 10 percent about $91,130.

What will a Cooks, Private Household earn in 10 years?

The Shigoto Zukan model projects $65,400 in 10 years ($56,300–$76,000) and $56,000 in 5 years.

What is the job outlook for Cooks, Private Household?

Employment of Cooks, Private Household is projected to change by +5.1% over 2025–35 (BLS), with about 5,000 openings per year. The Shigoto Zukan outlook score is 64/100.

Cooks, Private Household

Q: Will AI replace Cooks, Private Household?

The AI replacement risk for Cooks, Private Household is 36% (Low), estimated by comparing the tasks that AI and software can take over with the tasks that are hard to automate.

United States SOC 35-2013.00 Food Service Confidence ★★★★★

Also called: Certified Personal Chef (CPC), Cook, Cooking Chef, Culinary Artist, Culinary Chef, Culinary Specialist, Culinary Worker, Dinner Cook

Prepare meals in private homes.

Median annual pay

$47,940

25th–75th pct. $40,630–$55,450

Top pay (est.)

$118,500

Top 10% $91,130

Pay in 5 years

$56,000est.

2031

Pay in 10 years

$65,400est.

$56,300–$76,000

Outlook score

64/100

★★★☆☆ Average

AI replacement risk

36%

Low

Job growth (10 yr)

+5.1%

5,000 openings / yr

What cooks, private household do

Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.

Typical tasks

Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.
Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.
Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.
Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.
Create and explore new cuisines.
Serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests.

Typical path into the job (BLS)

Education Postsecondary nondegree awardRelated experience Less than 5 yearsOn-the-job training NoneO*NET Job Zone 3

Cooks, Private Household salary

The median annual wage for cooks, private household is $47,940 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,090 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $91,130. The mean annual wage is $53,680.

Median

$47,940

Mean

$53,680

10th percentile

$36,090

Entry level

25th percentile

$40,630

75th percentile

$55,450

90th percentile

$91,130

Top earners

Mean hourly wage

$25.00

3.4× the federal minimum ($7.25)

In Japanese yen

¥7.54M

≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)

$36,090

Early career (25th pct.)

$40,630

Mid career (median)

$47,940

Experienced (75th pct.)

$55,450

Top earners (90th pct.)

$91,130

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Cooks, Private Household (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $47,940 → in 3 years $52,600 → in 5 years $56,000 → in 10 years $65,400 (10-year range $56,300–$76,000). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.

$47,940

Now
2026

$52,600

In 3 yrs
2029

$48,600–$57,300

$56,000

In 5 yrs
2031

$50,500–$62,400

$65,400

In 10 yrs
2036

$56,300–$76,000

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand +0.05%AI impact +0.1%Total +3.2% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Cooks, Private Household

64/100

★★★☆☆

Average · ranked #154 of all U.S. occupations

Pay level

27 pts

AI resistance

64 pts

Entry barrier

40 pts

Annual openings

100 pts

Projected growth

72 pts

Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.

Will AI replace Cooks, Private Household? AI replacement risk

36%

Low

Ranked #333 safest from AI among all U.S. occupations

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Cooks, Private Household

Employment

1,100

BLS OEWS

Projected employment

37K

2025–35

Projected change

+5.1%

ranked #226 for growth

Annual openings

5,000

growth + replacement needs

Demand score

High

66/100

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

Work experience

Less than 5 years

in a related occupation

On-the-job training

None

Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Cooks, Private Household

Key skills

Service Orientation

3.5

Critical Thinking

3.1

Reading Comprehension

3.0

Coordination

3.0

Social Perceptiveness

3.0

Judgment and Decision Making

3.0

Active Learning

3.0

Time Management

3.0

O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).

Key knowledge areas

Sales and Marketing

4.1

Customer and Personal Service

4.1

Administration and Management

3.7

Food Production

3.5

Administrative

3.1

Mathematics

3.0

Education and Training

3.0

Production and Processing

2.9

What the work involves

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsGetting InformationHandling and Moving ObjectsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsThinking CreativelyPerforming Administrative ActivitiesMonitoring and Controlling Resources

Important abilities

Oral ComprehensionNear VisionOriginalityFluency of IdeasDeductive ReasoningProblem Sensitivity

Education of workers

Post-secondary certificate

38%

High school diploma

31%

Less than high school

15%

Associate's degree

12%

Some college

Training before entry

Up to 1 month

35%

None / short demo

19%

6–12 months

15%

1–3 months

12%

3–6 months

1–2 years

2–4 years

4–10 years

Related work experience

2–4 years

31%

1–2 years

23%

None

19%

6–12 months

12%

3–6 months

1–3 months

8–10 years

Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)

Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)

How to become cooks, private household

Typical education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS

Related experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

None

A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as cooks, private household

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.

Related occupations

	Occupation	Pay	Outlook	AI risk
1	Fast Food and Counter Workers Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages.	$31,200	57/100	30%
2	Waiters and Waitresses Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.	$35,230	50/100	18%
3	Cooks, Restaurant Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants.	$37,390	65/100	19%
4	First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.	$44,080	60/100	30%
5	Food Preparation Workers Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.	$35,320	42/100	30%
6	Bartenders Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.	$34,340	58/100	20%

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data

Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.