How to hire a chef/catering

How to hire a chef/catering, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chef/catering hiring guide:

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

What does a chef/catering do?

Post a chef/catering job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your chef/catering job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a chef/catering for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a chef/catering to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a chef/catering that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of chef/catering salaries for various roles:

   Type of Chef/Catering	Description	Hourly rate
   Chef/Catering	Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.	$12-40
   Head Cook	A head cook is responsible for organizing the food preparation, organizing the kitchen operations, and ensuring the quality of the food presented. Head cooks' duties include monitoring the food inventory, creating new recipes, researching current market trends, responding to guests' inquiries and complaints, distributing kitchen tasks to the staff, and maintaining budget goals while maintaining the highest food quality... Show more	$15-29
   Cooking Chef	A cooking chef oversees all people performing kitchen duties under their mandate. These professionals oversee timeliness, sanitary issues, ingredient preparation, meal preparation, and final presentations... Show more	$11-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Culinary
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Menu Planning
   • Food Safety
   • Food Handling
   • Chefs
   • Fine Dining
   • Kitchen Operations
   • Quality Food
   • Food Production
   • Quality Standards
   • HACCP
   • Cuisine
   • Cost Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
   • Train kitchen staff on HACCP guidelines, customer service, portion control and daily standards.
   • Work with a talent team of catering chefs prepping and cooking cater menu items for weddings, parties and corporate events.
   • Supervise setup, breakdown and maintenance of buffets for off-site catering company.
   • Pack meals and oversee delivery and set up of buffets and utensils when necessary.
   • Train new employee's in proper safety/sanitation guidelines with a HACCP style format that the group implements.

   More chef/catering duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your chef/catering job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A chef/catering salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, chef/caterings' average salary in idaho is 69% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level chef/caterings earn 68% less than senior-level chef/caterings.
   • Certifications. A chef/catering 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 chef/catering's salary.

   Average chef/catering salary

   $47,693yearly

   $22.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chef/catering salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average chef/catering salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$90,275	$43
   2	Pennsylvania	$74,010	$36
   3	California	$69,792	$34
   4	New Hampshire	$67,857	$33
   5	New York	$66,383	$32
   6	Rhode Island	$66,066	$32
   7	Massachusetts	$61,316	$29
   8	Connecticut	$60,970	$29
   9	Nevada	$59,952	$29
   10	Michigan	$57,250	$28
   11	Maryland	$53,716	$26
   12	Illinois	$51,896	$25
   13	Virginia	$51,047	$25
   14	Arizona	$50,764	$24
   15	Washington	$48,507	$23
   16	Texas	$48,289	$23
   17	North Carolina	$46,334	$22
   18	Oregon	$42,899	$21
   19	South Carolina	$42,059	$20
   20	Missouri	$41,498	$20

   Average chef/catering salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cornell University	$86,113	$41.40	8
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$55,253	$26.56	1
   3	Daniels Lounge	$53,534	$25.74
   4	Goodwin Recruiting	$53,420	$25.68
   5	PLUM	$52,095	$25.05	11
   6	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$51,850	$24.93	280
   7	Gourmet Caterers	$50,408	$24.23
   8	Cal-am Properties, Inc.	$39,398	$18.94
   9	Chapel Hill Country Club	$36,672	$17.63	5
   10	Buehler	$36,598	$17.60	3
   11	Compass Group USA	$35,275	$16.96	2,011
   12	University Health	$34,266	$16.47
   13	Vail Resorts	$33,088	$15.91	19
   14	Alterra Mountain	$32,726	$15.73
   15	Stadium	$32,709	$15.73
   16	Aramark	$31,748	$15.26	401
   17	University of Richmond	$30,199	$14.52
   18	Elite Hospitality	$30,020	$14.43

4. Writing a chef/catering job description

   A job description for a chef/catering 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 chef/catering job description:

   Chef/catering job description example

   ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Since 1991, Caterstaff has been the leader in providing professional service and culinary staff throughout New England.
   
   EOE STATEMENT: We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   RATE OF PAY PER HOUR: Starting pay $20/hr (no experience) and up to $25/hr with verified related experience.
   
   Description
   
   Starting pay $20/hr (no experience) and up to $25/hr with verified related experience.
   
   Your chef skills will be a great asset to this fast paced, diverse list of clients that Caterstaff has worked with for over 20 years. We work with the top caterers, clubs, corporate dining, higher education and private clients throughout New England. Event locations throughout the greater eastern Massachusetts area. (Boston, North Shore, South Shore, Worcester) We are NOT an app based, national job posting company and have strong, local relationships. Shifts available every day of the week mornings, afternoons and evenings. There is a 5 hour minimum.
   
   WE OFFER:
   
   -Flexible work schedule
   
   -Quick pay option
   
   -Referral bonus
   
   -Carpooling provided to and from events if not T accessible
   
   Working as a chef for Caterstaff:
   
   -Passion for executing delicious food
   
   -Ability to work well & communicate in a fast paced environment
   
   -A positive "can do" and team oriented attitude
   
   -Ability to give and take instruction/ feedback without ego
   
   -Previous experience in catering, banquet, or fine dining kitchen (or a fast learner with good underlying technique and understanding of fundamentals)
   
   -Reliable windows of time that can be booked for on-call work (i.e., you can hold to your commitments)
   
   Your work environment:
   
   Venues for catering chefs vary. Some work for corporations or caterers and use the same kitchen for every event. Others travel to homes, public meeting halls or reception locations and have to use the kitchen equipment and tools available to them.
   
   WE'RE HIRING NOW! YOU WILL RECEIVE A RESPONSE WITHIN 48 HOURS! WE BOOK YOUR FREE TIME! WE BOOK YOUR FREE TIME
   
   PM21
   
   POSITION: Catering Chef - On Call
   
   

   PI192257362

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find chef/caterings 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 chef/catering job on Zippia to find and recruit chef/catering candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit chef/caterings, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 chef/catering

   Once you've selected the best chef/catering candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 chef/catering?