Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Food service, cleaning, and personal care / 35-1011.00

Chefs and Head Cooks

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

US jobs
200,040
Median wage
$62,470 a year
Job family
Food service, cleaning, and personal care

Can agents do the work of chefs and head cooks?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Food service, cleaning, and personal care: Not yet (first measured in the last 12 months)

Direct benchmarks exist, but agents complete less than 20% of their tasks.

Evidence: BEHAVIOR Challenge 2025, 12.4% of tasks fully completed (Full task success rate).

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 19%Direct organizational operations, activities, or proceduresNot measured
  • 10%Inspect completed work or finished productsNot measured
  • 10%Train others on operational or work proceduresNot measured
  • 10%Purchase goods or servicesNot measured
  • 9%Develop recipes or menusNot measured
  • 6%Monitor individual behavior or performanceNot measured
  • 5%Inspect facilities or equipmentNot measured
  • 5%Determine resource needs of projects or operationsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in food service, cleaning, and personal care, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
  • Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
  • Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
  • Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
  • Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
  • Check the quantity and quality of received products.
  • Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
  • Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
  • Coordinate planning, budgeting, or purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains.
  • Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
  • Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel.
  • Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.
Other job titles for this occupation (51)

Banquet Chef · Chef · Cook · Executive Chef (Ex Chef) · Executive Pastry Chef · Executive Sous Chef · Food and Beverage Director · Head Cook · Kitchen Manager · Sous Chef · Baker · Bread and Pastry Baker · Cake Froster · Cake Icer · Cake Maker · Cake Mixer · Certified Executive Chef (CEC) · Chef de Cuisine · Chef de Froid · Chef Manager · Chocolatier · Confectioner · Cook Manager · Cooking Chef · Corporate Executive Chef · Cuisine Chef · Culinary Artist · Culinary Chef · Culinary Specialist · Head Baker · Head Chef · Head Pastry Chef · Kitchen Chef · Kitchen Supervisor · Master Chef · Menu Planner · Pantry Chef · Passenger Vessel Chef · Pastry Artist · Pastry Chef · Pastry Cook · Personal Chef · Pie Maker · Pizza Chef · Private Chef · Restaurant Chef · Salad Chef · School Cafeteria Head Cook · Sushi Chef · Water Transportation Cook · Wedding Cake Designer