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How to hire a cafeteria cook

Cafeteria cook hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring cafeteria cooks in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a cafeteria cook is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per cafeteria cook on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 8,922 cafeteria cooks in the US, and there are currently 130,702 job openings in this field.
  • Lakeland, FL, has the highest demand for cafeteria cooks, with 12 job openings.

How to hire a cafeteria cook, step by step

To hire a cafeteria cook, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a cafeteria cook:

Here's a step-by-step cafeteria cook hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a cafeteria cook job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new cafeteria cook
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The cafeteria cook hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect cafeteria cook also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    Here's a comparison of cafeteria cook salaries for various roles:

    Type of Cafeteria CookDescriptionHourly rate
    Cafeteria CookCooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.$12-17
    Cook/Dietary AideA cook/dietary aide is an individual who works along with the dietary managers, cooks, and dieticians. Dietary aides prepare meals, beverages, and snacks... Show more$10-16
    CookCooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed... Show more$12-19
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Culinary
    • Cleanliness
    • Kitchen Equipment
    • Food Service
    • Food Handling
    • Quality Standards
    • Safety Standards
    • HACCP
    • Food Orders
    • Allergies
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Healthy Meals
    • Convection Ovens
    • Fryers
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
    • Prepare and serve nutritional meals to the before and after school kids.
    • Inspect equipment for cleanliness in functional operation.
    • Supervise the culinary arts participants in juvenile detention facility.
    • Maintain cafeteria cleanliness, stock condiments, Pepsi machine syrup replacement.
    • Ensure customers convenience are met/exceed by accommodating and notifying customers of ingredients that may trigger food allergies or intolerance.
    More cafeteria cook duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your cafeteria cook job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A cafeteria cook salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, cafeteria cooks' average salary in louisiana is 42% less than in utah.
    • Seniority. Entry-level cafeteria cooks earn 31% less than senior-level cafeteria cooks.
    • Certifications. A cafeteria cook with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a cafeteria cook's salary.

    Average cafeteria cook salary

    $14.61hourly

    $30,395 yearly

    Entry-level cafeteria cook salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 12, 2025

    Average cafeteria cook salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$37,274$18
    2California$37,242$18
    3Nevada$34,267$16
    4Oregon$32,466$16
    5Pennsylvania$32,038$15
    6Colorado$31,525$15
    7Virginia$31,206$15
    8North Carolina$30,363$15
    9Alabama$30,130$14
    10Ohio$29,004$14
    11Washington$28,809$14
    12New Jersey$28,734$14
    13Indiana$28,492$14
    14Iowa$27,684$13
    15Florida$27,460$13
    16Texas$27,089$13
    17Illinois$26,329$13
    18Louisiana$23,942$12

    Average cafeteria cook salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1National Pancake House$35,695$17.1616
    2Strongsville City Schools$34,498$16.59
    3West Liberty Foods$33,756$16.234
    4God$33,430$16.07
    5St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc$33,035$15.88
    6UF Health Central Florida$32,522$15.64
    7Prairie View$32,464$15.61
    8Hyatt Hotels$32,397$15.5896
    9Mandarin Oriental$32,260$15.51
    10CITRUS VALLEY PHYSICIANS GROUP$31,690$15.24
    11Devereux Arizona$31,638$15.21
    12Publix$31,590$15.1912
    13Rosewood Hotels & Resorts$31,544$15.171
    14CAREL$31,108$14.96
    15Sodexo Management, Inc.$31,060$14.93451
    16Grand Sierra Resort$31,053$14.932
    17Benchmark Hospitally$31,035$14.92
    18Hoag$30,970$14.89
    19Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center$30,969$14.891
    20yapo.cl$30,911$14.86
  4. Writing a cafeteria cook job description

    A job description for a cafeteria cook role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a cafeteria cook job description:

    Cafeteria cook job description example

    Ability to add and subtract two digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10’s and 100’s. Ability to perform these operations using units of distance, weight and volume measurement.

    REASONING ABILITY:

    Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

    OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

    Ability to interact positively with staff and the school community. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form. Ability to work independently, to function effectively in a multi-task environment, and to interact positively with the public. Ability to maintain confidentiality about school and student business. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, staff and community. Ability to maintain high attendance rate. Ability to perform duties with awareness of and compliance with related Board of School Trustees policies and state requirements.


    PHYSICAL DEMANDS : The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must be able to hear conversation and to communicate through speech. The employee continuously uses hand strength to grasp cooking pans and utensils. The employee frequently must squat, stoop or kneel, reach above the head and reach forward. The employee will frequently bend or twist at the neck and trunk more than the average person while performing the duties of this job.

    The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 40 pounds such as cleaning supplies, pails and unloading trucks. Occasionally the employee will with assistance lift and/or move up to 90 pounds such as bulk food. The employee will sometimes push/pull items such as tables and carts. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Some tasks require the ability of good body balance on slippery surfaces.

    WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works indoors and will occasionally work outdoors. The employee will work near or with moving mechanical equipment. The employee may occasionally work with toxic or caustic chemicals such as petroleum products, degreasers, and sprays. The employee must be able to meet deadlines with severe time constraints. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and occasionally will work in a loud area.

    The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

    Department: Food Services

    Classification: Non-certified, Food Services Part-time

    Status: FLSA nonexempt; nonbargain

    Reports To: Principal/Food Services Director, Superintendent

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find cafeteria cooks for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your cafeteria cook job on Zippia to find and recruit cafeteria cook candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit cafeteria cooks, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new cafeteria cook

    Once you've decided on a perfect cafeteria cook candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new cafeteria cook first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a cafeteria cook?

Recruiting cafeteria cooks involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

The median annual salary for cafeteria cooks is $30,395 in the US. However, the cost of cafeteria cook hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a cafeteria cook for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $12 and $17 an hour.

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