Chief Cook

What the Numbers Say About Chief Cook

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Chief Cook occupation (OPM code 9971): 37 people, headcount down -11.9% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.

Chief Cook pays $58,048 per year on average, 47.2% below the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 1.5% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 13.5 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family (code 99) groups Chief Cook together with 50 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Chief Cook postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Within the Vessel Jobs Family (excluded From the Federal Wage System) family, Chief Cook ranks #41 of 51 by headcount, accounting for 0.6% of the family's combined 6,135 employees.