UK AI Job-Risk Index · SOC 2010 5435
Ranks #213 of 293 for AI exposure (1 = most exposed)
How exposed to AI are cooks?
32/100
AI exposure score (percentile across all 365 occupations DfE scored)
Low#213
of 293 UK occupations (1 = most exposed)
£16,981
median full-time pay (ONS ASHE 2020) · 65,000 employee jobs
Cooks sits in the low exposure band: its abilities overlap with current AI applications more than about 32% of the 365 UK occupations the Department for Education scored. Lower exposure usually means more of the work depends on physical, practical or in-person abilities that current AI applications do not cover well. It does not mean the job will be untouched by technology.
Underlying scores: AIOE (all AI) -0.70, LLM exposure -0.59 (standardised; 0 is the average occupation). Skill level: Level 3. Pay and job counts are 2020 figures, so use them to compare occupations rather than as current salaries.
Advertisement
Job titles in this occupation
Titles the ONS SOC 2010 coding index places in unit group 5435. If your job title is here, this page uses the right figures for you.
cook · head cook · chief cook · fish fryer · grill hand · pastrycook · pastry cook · cook-cleaner · cook-general · cook-manager · cook-steward · cook in charge · cook-companion · cook-supervisor
Reader poll: do you think AI will change your job in the next 5 years?
Reader opinion, not science. Anyone can vote once per job; results show once at least 10 people have voted. Your IP address is hashed for rate-limiting and never stored.
Worried about this score? Get a plan
Seen your job's AI exposure? Our free 90-day plan shows practical steps to stay ahead.
One weekly email on AI and UK jobs, plus a free 90-day AI-proof career plan (PDF). No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Is your job safer than your friend's?
Send a friend this challenge. They add their job and see whose is more exposed to AI.
Embed this score on your site
Free for blogs, schools and careers sites. Please keep the credit link.
Next steps
- Role scanner: which of your tasks AI is likely to touch
- Salary-risk check and Career pathways tool
- Course checker and Parent briefing
- Careers articles
- All skilled trades occupations · all 293 occupations A–Z
- Personal task score: tick the tasks you actually do
- Free weekly email + 90-day AI-proof career plan (PDF)
Lower-risk related jobs
Occupations in the same SOC 2010 sub-major group with a lower AI exposure score, highest-paid first. Pay difference is against £16,981 (ONS ASHE 2020 median, full-time). Switching usually needs retraining; this is a starting point, not advice.
| Occupation | Exposure | Median pay | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other skilled trades n.e.c. | 30/100 | £26,702 | +£9,721 |
| Printers | 24/100 | £26,135 | +£9,154 |
| Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers | 15/100 | £24,194 | +£7,213 |
| Print finishing and binding workers | 28/100 | £24,113 | +£7,132 |
| Butchers | 7/100 | £22,697 | +£5,716 |
Occupations with similar exposure
- Air-conditioning and refrigeration engineers (31/100)
- Chemical and related process operatives (31/100)
- Agricultural and fishing trades n.e.c. (31/100)
- Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors (32/100)
← #212 Cleaning and housekeeping managers and supervisors · #214 Air-conditioning and refrigeration engineers →
FAQ: Cooks and AI
Will AI replace cooks?
The index does not predict job losses. Cooks has an AI exposure score of 32/100 (low band), ranking #213 of 293 UK occupations, where 1 is the most exposed. Lower exposure means more of the work relies on abilities current AI applications cover less well.
How does this compare with similar jobs?
Cooks is one of 9 occupations in its SOC 2010 sub-major group in the index; 3 of the others are more exposed to AI.
How much do cooks earn?
Median gross annual pay for full-time employees was £16,981 in ONS ASHE 2020 (Table 14), across about 65,000 employee jobs. These are 2020 figures, so use them to compare jobs rather than as current salaries.
Which related jobs are less exposed to AI?
In the same sub-major group, lower-exposure occupations include Other skilled trades n.e.c. (30/100, £26,702), Printers (24/100, £26,135), Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers (15/100, £24,194).
Where does this data come from?
AI exposure uses Department for Education (2023) AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) scores; pay and job counts come from ONS ASHE 2020. Job titles come from the ONS SOC 2010 coding index.
Source: Department for Education (2023), The impact of AI on UK jobs and training (AIOE scores); ONS ASHE 2020 Table 14; job titles from the ONS SOC 2010 coding index (v7). Exposure is not a prediction of job loss. Methodology · Embed this data
Cite this
For essays, coursework and articles. Please also cite the original DfE and ONS sources listed in the methodology.
APA (7th)
Plain text