Health
Cook
$42,564 to $48,097 a year
Posted until October 23, 2026 · posted September 23, 2026
Requirements
Other requirements
Exam
Non-competitive title
A job title where a competitive exam is not practical, so the agency checks that your qualifications meet the standard instead. You apply directly. On our job pages this shows as "No exam for this title".
From ≈ $20.46 an hour · $1,637 every 2 weeks, before taxes (40-hour weeks).
NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $3.46/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.
What you'd have made
$1,631 If you'd started this job 2 weeks ago, at this pay, before taxes.
An hour of this job pays for about 6.8 subway rides ($3 fare).
Price anything in hours of this job
Check yourself
What they actually ask for.
Other requirements: read them on the posting
1. Two years of cooking experience. There are no formal educational requirements.
However, candidates must be able to speak, read and write English and carry out simple instructions.
2. For Department of Correction and Department of Juvenile Justice only
One year of experience in a correctional facility assisting in the cooking and preparation of food and performing related functions under the supervision of a Cook.
Quoted word for word from the official posting. The label above is ours, read from this text; if they disagree, this text wins.
The work
What the job is.
The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is an integral part of the City’s evolving criminal justice system, participating in reform initiatives and strategies aimed to move the City towards a smaller jail system without compromising public safety.
The DOC is responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment for our employees, visitors, volunteers, and people in our custody.
Read the rest, from the posting
Importantly, safe jails enable DOC to provide people in custody with the tools and opportunities they need to successfully re-enter their communities.
The DOC operates facilities and court commands across the five boroughs with more than 7,500 diverse professionals and knowledgeable experts.
The DOC seeks to hire Cooks whose task will include but will not be limited to the following: • Performing work of ordinary difficulty and responsibility in the preparation of food in an
institution and be responsible for. • Preparation and cooking of food, using standard procedures and quantity recipes.
- Portioning out food according to departmental standards and checking prepared food
out of the kitchen to feeding areas. • Supervises and instructs inmates assigned to the unit.
- Responsible for the cleanliness and order of the work area.
- Serves on steam table in serving area, as required.
- Performs related duties and special projects as assigned.
Preferred Skills • Qualifying Certificate in Food Protection issued by the New York City Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene is required. • Previous work experience in a restaurant, school, or other large-scale food operation.
Available tours would be 4AM- 1PM or 10AM – 7PM with pass days of MON/TUES, TUES/WED, or WED/THURS, depending operational needs.
Before you apply
The fine print.
Where you have to live
Live in NYC within 90 days (usually)
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
How to apply, from the posting
For City employees: Go to Employee Self-Service (ESS) - www.nyc.gov/ess and
search for Job ID# 802039. For all other applicants: Go to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov
and search for Job ID# 802039. Submission of a resume is not a guarantee that you
will receive an interview. Only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.
Sources
Straight from the city.
From the city's job data, which the city last updated September 28, 2026. You apply through the official posting.
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