How to hire a camp cook

How to hire a camp cook, step by step

Here's a step-by-step camp 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 camp cook job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new camp cook
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The camp 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?

   Yes

   No

   A camp cook's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, camp cooks from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of camp cooks and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Camp Cook	Description	Hourly rate
   Camp Cook	Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	$12-18
   Cook/Dietary Aide	A 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
   Dietary Cook	A dietary cook specializes in cooking and preparing healthy meals for clients or organizations. It is their duty to follow nutritional plans and guidelines, adhere to portion and quality standards, supervise kitchen staff, and participate in delivering food to rooms or offices... Show more	$10-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Preparation
   • Food Service
   • Food Handling
   • Clean Kitchen
   • Allergies
   • Kids
   • Stoves
   • Healthy Meals
   • Gluten Free
   • Meal Planning
   • Cooking Food

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Work with propane refrigerators, freezer and stoves.
   • Work remotely in Alaskan bush conducting salmon and otolith surveys, also are the camp cook.
   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Work remotely in Alaskan bush conducting salmon and otolith surveys, also are the camp cook.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the camp cook job description is a good way to get more applicants. A camp cook salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a camp cook in Missouri may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level camp cook. Additionally, a camp cook with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average camp cook salary

   $15.69hourly

   $32,630 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level camp cook salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average camp cook salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$48,991	$24
   2	New Jersey	$37,941	$18
   3	New York	$34,474	$17
   4	Colorado	$33,948	$16
   5	Virginia	$33,761	$16
   6	North Carolina	$32,942	$16
   7	Georgia	$32,067	$15
   8	Wisconsin	$31,999	$15
   9	Ohio	$30,941	$15
   10	Iowa	$30,436	$15
   11	South Carolina	$30,221	$15
   12	Texas	$28,204	$14
   13	Florida	$27,466	$13
   14	Arkansas	$27,374	$13

   Average camp cook salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Santa Clara County Office of Education	$35,359	$17.00
   2	Compass Group USA	$35,182	$16.91	3,673
   3	Brinker International	$35,104	$16.88
   4	Rutgers University	$34,882	$16.77	3
   5	Homes for the Homeless	$34,221	$16.45
   6	The Easter Seal Society of Iowa Inc	$33,993	$16.34
   7	City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)	$33,590	$16.15	1
   8	Brock Group	$33,552	$16.13	5
   9	Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta	$33,509	$16.11	18
   10	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$33,224	$15.97	454
   11	The GEO Group	$33,033	$15.88	6
   12	Worlds of Fun	$32,963	$15.85
   13	Girl Scouts Of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois	$32,904	$15.82	4
   14	Consolidated Management	$32,823	$15.78	10
   15	Cedar Fair	$31,915	$15.34	4
   16	Cabela's	$31,895	$15.33
   17	Aramark	$31,691	$15.24	886
   18	Bass Pro Shops	$31,680	$15.23	10
   19	YMCA of Metro Wash	$29,775	$14.31
   20	Boy Scouts of America	$27,768	$13.35	15

4. Writing a camp cook job description

   A camp cook job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a camp cook job description:

   Camp cook job description example

   Pay rate will be $14.00 per hour

   Easterseals Florida has been rated a 2020 and 2021 Great Place to Work by our employees! We provide services daily that make a profound, positive difference in the lives of people living with disabilities and their families. We believe in the potential of each individual's ability to live, work, learn and play in their own communities. Working at Easterseals is more than just a job - it's an opportunity to be part of something bigger! If you want to translate your talent, your passion, and your commitment to help people with disabilities, families and the community, you might be exactly what we are looking for.

   About the Position:

   Are you currently employed at a school, university, or other seasonal position and seeking additional or supplemental work as a cook? Our seasonal cook position at Camp Challenge in Sorrento Florida may be just what you have been looking for! The camp cook position is seasonal throughout the year. We provide overnight camp weekends once a month and weeklong camps a couple of times per year. Then our busiest season is our summer camp programs in June and July, all for children and adults with special needs. Come join our team of cooks that pop in and out of camp throughout the year, bringing fun foods and desserts to our campers! Positions include weekends, holiday, spring and winter breaks and summer breaks. Morning, mid-day and late afternoon to evening shifts are available. Responsibilities include prepping, cooking and serving meals, adapting menus to those with dietary needs, and maintaining safety and sanitization standards in the kitchen and dining hall.

   Available shifts:

   • Friday - Dinner 3:30pm to 7:30pm
   • Saturday - Breakfast 7:00am to 10:30am & Lunch 11:00am to 2:30pm
   • Saturday - Dinner - 3:30pm to 7:30pm
   • Sunday - Breakfast - 7:00am to10:30am & Lunch 11:00am to 3:00pm

   Qualifications:

   • Compassion for working with children and adults with disabilities and special needs
   • High School Diploma/GED; and six months related experience and/or training
   • Experience cooking in a commercial kitchen is preferred
   • Ability to lift and or move up to 50 pounds
   • Good knowledge of proper sanitary practices
   • Punctual, responsible and self-motivated
   • Food handler's certification preferred

   Easterseals Florida is an AA/EEO employer and Drug Free Workplace (DFWP) (including medical marijuana).

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right camp cook for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your camp cook job on Zippia to find and recruit camp cook candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with camp cook candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 camp cook

   Once you have selected a candidate for the camp cook position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new camp cook. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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