--- title: "Cook Jobs in Durham, NC | Metaintro" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc" language: "en" author: "Metaintro" data_as_of: "2026-11-05T04:10:12.216Z" cite_as: "Metaintro job-market data. https://www.metaintro.com/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc" data: ["https://www.metaintro.com/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc/data.json"] --- Cook market brief · Durham, NC # Cook Jobs in Durham, NC 229 cook openings are live in the Durham, NC area from 88 employers, led by PLUNJ, Compass Group, and Brinker International. The middle half of posted salaries runs $29,120–$38,189 a year (median $35,360), from the 52% of listings that disclose pay. Data updated Nov 5, 2026 [Search live jobs](/jobs/search?q=Cook+jobs+in+Durham%2C+NC)[Browse all Cook markets](/jobs/cook) ## Role and market snapshot A quick read on demand before you open the live listings **Tracked jobs** : 229 : Live cook openings currently tracked in the Durham market. **Companies hiring** : 88 : Distinct employers represented in this publishable market view. **Median compensation** : $35,360 : 52% of listings provide usable compensation data. ## Market analysis Role-specific demand, level, employer, and compensation signals for this local market Start with the level mix, then compare current demand, compensation coverage, and employer concentration before opening the live listings. Level mix ### Career ladder [Entry-level](/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc/entry-level)57 jobs [Mid-level](/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc/mid-level)5 jobs Lead+2 jobs Level coverage is 28%. Counts remain visible, but fit guidance stays withheld until at least 60% of listings have a reliable level signal. 30-day window ### Demand and salary Current jobs 229 Hiring employers 88 Salary coverage 52% Median experience 1.0 years Within this market ### Employer tier lens Startups & growing teams 127 44 companies · $33,280 median Established employers 46 21 companies Top of market 30 8 companies Coverage-gated ### Salary distribution P25 $29,120 P50 $35,360 P75 $38,189 P90 $50,752 Salary figures use annualized USD posted minimum compensation from listings in this market. An employer that posts the same pay on many listings counts once, and figures render only when enough distinct employers disclose pay. Use Metaintro ### Turn this market signal into momentum Move from aggregate demand to the live roles hiring in this market now. - Open live cook listings in Durham - Compare the level mix before narrowing your search - Use employer and compensation signals to prioritize outreach [Search live jobs](/jobs/search?q=Cook+jobs+in+Durham%2C+NC)[Get started free](/signup) ## Turn this market brief into a live search. Use the signal The best next step is opening the roles behind the aggregate: compare cook opportunities in Durham, save the strongest fits, and keep the market signal close while you apply. - 229 live roles tracked in this market. - 88 employers represented in the current window. - Market data refreshed Nov 5, 2026. [Search live jobs](/jobs/search?q=Cook+jobs+in+Durham%2C+NC)[Compare other markets](/jobs/cook) ## A practical market plan for Cook in Durham Use this sequence to move from aggregate labor-market data to a focused application list. 1. 01Read the demand 229 cook openings across 88 employers establish the current Durham opportunity set. 2. 02Choose the right rung Use the live listings to calibrate title, scope, and experience expectations before applying. 3. 03Prioritize employers PLUNJ is one of the most active visible employers, with 22 current openings in this market view. 4. 04Open the live roles 24 representative openings connect this brief to jobs you can review now. With Metaintro Keep market research, live opportunities, saved roles, and the evidence behind your applications moving in one focused loop. ## Where this market is hiring Move from the Durham market view into active employers and representative cook openings Employer activity · 88 companies ### Who is hiring in this market The most active visible employers, ordered by openings represented in the current market sample. PLUNJStartups & growing teams22Open roles ![Compass Group logo](/api/favicon-proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fs2%2Ffavicons%3Fdomain%3Dcompassgroup.com%26sz%3D128) Compass GroupStartups & growing teams14Open roles [Brinker InternationalEstablished employers11Open roles](/company/brinker-international) Grove Bay Hospitality GroupStartups & growing teams10Open roles [![Olive Garden logo](/api/favicon-proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.olivegarden.com%2Fimages%2Fsite%2FOGlogo_updated.svg) Olive GardenTop of market8Open roles](/company/olive-garden)[![KinderCare logo](/api/company-logo?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kindercare.com%2F-%2Fmedia%2Fkindercare%2Ffavicons%2Fapple-icon.png&sig=NNWNKVXAG-3CCI8lNGvaKKKCNESm4oYj78icrP50Yis) KinderCareStartups & growing teams7Open roles](/company/daycare-preschool-and-early-education)[![First Watch logo](/api/company-logo?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirstwatch.com%2Fapple-touch-icon.png&sig=FHzQfjRFVEErUdSwYJROtmYbjfOAIlDG_AdOzfFoiv0) First WatchTop of market6Open roles](/company/first-watch)[Outback SteakhouseTop of market6Open roles](/company/outback-steakhouse) Live opportunity sample · 24 of 229 matches ### Representative openings Open a role to inspect the full requirements. Compensation appears only when the listing provides usable salary data. [Line Cook - Durham Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalDurham, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-durham-chilis-at-brinker-international-1864e4f5-38d6-59a0-858f-a1c3e20f202a)[Line Cook - Garner Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalGarner, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-garner-chilis-at-brinker-international-809a0e69-5ebe-529e-b739-25944e07061e)[Line Cook - Morrisville Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalMorrisville, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-morrisville-chilis-at-brinker-international-84c6bf94-afc7-5f40-94c0-ea0e9d6c9598)[Line Cook - Holly Springs Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalHolly Springs, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-holly-springs-chilis-at-brinker-international-c4949e99-6eb6-5e46-9bc7-c7e2571a38fb)[Line Cook - UC Burlington Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalBurlington, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-uc-burlington-chilis-at-brinker-international-e091ba49-83bc-5325-b2f8-dc3908006aea)[Line Cook - Wake Forest Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalWake Forest, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/line-cook-wake-forest-chilis-at-brinker-international-612391e6-8182-5ea8-82a5-38c7b0a04a5b)[Prep Cook - Wake Forest Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalWake Forest, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/prep-cook-wake-forest-chilis-at-brinker-international-2d9c8062-7eb2-5636-a713-dc1dac3e4427)[Prep Cook - Durham Chili'sLive roleBrinker InternationalDurham, North CarolinaPosted Nov 4, 2026](/job/prep-cook-durham-chilis-at-brinker-international-0c6d35ee-ddad-5cd0-a8bf-a8629090731d) #### More cook openings in Durham - [Sushi Prep Cook · Hana Brands](/job/sushi-prep-cook-at-hana-brands-decadb98-6809-52d2-b17d-447f710b07e5) - [Sous Chef - Maggiano's-Durham · Brinker International](/job/sous-chef-maggianos-durham-at-brinker-international-46a38ffe-abf2-5695-9ab4-0c1239ccdfd3) - [Childcare Center Cook · Child Development Schools](/job/childcare-center-cook-at-child-development-schools-22d395a0-9636-5cce-be79-06f624be7230) - [Line Cook · bartaco](/job/line-cook-at-bartaco-082f1b43-95df-536e-8072-968712b38c74) - [Line Cook · Outback Steakhouse](/job/line-cook-at-outback-steakhouse-a0b16516-bc5d-5dfd-aa14-d2b9e6aa8b72) - [Sous Chef at Counting House · Accor](/job/sous-chef-at-counting-house-at-accor-72de7cfd-85c3-5468-bc9a-3b5cadb5d65d) - [Line Cook at Counting House · Accor](/job/line-cook-at-counting-house-at-accor-0e5850ab-b998-5ca4-9b77-5bf77e01284f) - [Cook - Dietary Aide HCC · PruittHealth](/job/cook-dietary-aide-hcc-at-pruitthealth-35c594bd-841c-5f79-a765-7e236af6ed9e) - [Cook - Dietary Aide HCC · PruittHealth](/job/cook-dietary-aide-hcc-at-pruitthealth-873c7bd4-fbaf-589f-8739-d5a56c1dae23) - [Line Cook Prep · PLUNJ](/job/line-cook-prep-at-plunj-8c71b969-b174-59c5-8ebf-5c7d53512c24) - [Line Cook · Huntsville Levity Live](/job/line-cook-at-huntsville-levity-live-0db59f29-30bf-582a-a1fd-c67b653fce48) - [Lead Line Cook · PLUNJ](/job/lead-line-cook-at-plunj-466b467b-cb73-5098-bf44-f1701f0a3d15) - [Line Cook Prep Cook · PLUNJ](/job/line-cook-prep-cook-at-plunj-fe9548ad-4877-5be0-a395-7d9b6b417a4a) - [Lead Line Cook · PLUNJ](/job/lead-line-cook-at-plunj-192a3f99-1f7f-5a34-b05d-e7250cc33ef2) - [Line Cook/Prep Cook · PLUNJ](/job/line-cook-prep-cook-at-plunj-c30bfb83-9e17-5112-999e-79ddb994d2b9) - [Cook · Victorian Senior Care](/job/cook-at-victorian-senior-care-157ecb18-2f27-590f-9e02-d1587e10a028) [Explore all 229 matching jobs](/jobs/search?q=Cook+jobs+in+Durham%2C+NC) ## Cook jobs in Durham: what applicants need to know Current answers for a difficult AI-era job search, grounded in this publishable role and location market view rather than generic career advice. 1. 01### How many cook jobs are open in Durham? Metaintro tracks 229 live cook openings from 88 employers in the Durham, NC area over the last 30 days. 2. 02### What do cook jobs in Durham pay? The median posted salary is $35,360 a year. The middle half of posted salaries runs $29,120 to $38,189. Based on the 52% of current listings that disclose pay. 3. 03### Which companies are hiring for cook jobs in Durham? PLUNJ, Compass Group, Brinker International, and Grove Bay Hospitality Group have the most open cook roles here right now, out of 88 hiring employers. ## Continue with the next market signal Compare nearby cities, adjacent roles, and publishable level views without leaving the live jobs cluster Nearby cities Compare Cook demand around Durham. [Raleigh, NC](/jobs/cook/locations/raleigh-nc)[Greensboro, NC](/jobs/cook/locations/greensboro-nc)[Fayetteville, NC](/jobs/cook/locations/fayetteville-nc)[Winston-Salem, NC](/jobs/cook/locations/winston-salem-nc)[Greenville, NC](/jobs/cook/locations/greenville-nc)[Lynchburg, VA](/jobs/cook/locations/lynchburg-va) Related roles See adjacent role demand in the Durham market. [Server](/jobs/server/locations/durham-nc)[Hospitality Manager](/jobs/hospitality-manager/locations/durham-nc)[Barista](/jobs/barista/locations/durham-nc)[All roles in Durham](/jobs/locations/durham-nc) Level views Narrow the market to experience levels with enough reliable data. [Entry-level Cook](/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc/entry-level)[Mid-level Cook](/jobs/cook/locations/durham-nc/mid-level) Built for career movement ## Turn the Durham cook market into your next move. Use live demand, employer, level, and compensation signals to focus your cook search where the market is active now. [Search live jobs](/jobs/search?q=Cook+jobs+in+Durham%2C+NC)[Get started free](/signup) - MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence. - PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications. - ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current. [Return to navigation](#main-navigation)