OSCA 3223

Cooks

Overview

  • Employed persons

    44,200

  • Employment status

    34.3% Full time

    65.7% Part time

  • Median age

    33 years

  • Employment by sex

    48.7% Female

    51.3% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.9%

  • Main employing industry

    Accommodation and Food Services

Indicator Cooks Total employment
Employed persons 44,200 12,049,400
Median age 33 years 40 years
Full-time share 34.3% 64.2%
Part-time share 65.7% 35.8%
Female employment share 48.7% 48.5%
Male employment share 51.3% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.9% 2.2%
Main employing industry Accommodation and Food Services Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Cooks prepare, season and cook food in dining and catering establishments.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Cooks Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Accommodation and Food Services 70.5% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 13.8% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Retail Trade 3.1% Construction 8.9%
    Education and Training 2.5% Education and Training 8.8%
    Manufacturing 1.8% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Arts and Recreation Services 1.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Public Administration and Safety 0.8% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 0.7% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.4% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Other Services 0.4% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      29.3%

    • Victoria

      23.7%

    • Queensland

      21.6%

    • South Australia

      8.1%

    • Tasmania

      3.2%

    • Northern Territory

      1.5%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.7%

    Cooks Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 12,900 29.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 10,500 23.7% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 9,500 21.6% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 3,600 8.1% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 4,800 10.9% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 1,400 3.2% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 670 1.5% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 770 1.7% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Cooks

    Total employment

    Age group Cooks Total employment
    15–24 years 30.7% 14.3%
    25–34 years 23.1% 22.7%
    35–44 years 16.2% 22.3%
    45–54 years 14.1% 20.4%
    55–64 years 12.6% 15.3%
    65–74 years 3.1% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Cooks Total employment
    Female 48.7% 48.5%
    Male 51.3% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

      Download

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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