How To Become A Cook And Assistant Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cook and assistant manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cook and assistant manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.02 an hour? That's $41,632 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 419,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCook And Assistant ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $41,632

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.90%

Asian 6.95%

Black or African American 10.54%

Hispanic or Latino 16.07%

Unknown 5.19%

White 60.36%

Gender

female 36.43%

male 63.57%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cook and assistant manager

Explore cook and assistant manager education requirements

Most common cook and assistant manager degrees

High School Diploma

40.3 %

Bachelor's

24.5 %

Associate

21.2 %

Start to develop specific cook and assistant manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	33.64%
Customer Service	15.58%
Bank Deposits	5.12%
Food Service	5.01%
Food Preparation	3.33%

Complete relevant cook and assistant manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cook and assistant managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cook and assistant manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cook and assistant manager resumes.

Gain additional cook and assistant manager certifications

Cook and assistant manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific cook and assistant manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for cook and assistant managers include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research cook and assistant manager duties and responsibilities

Manage servers and dishwashers on a daily basis making sure everything are always maintain accordingly.
Perform daily maintenance on fryers, grills, refrigerators, freezers, and other equipment.
Apply dynamic leadership expertise toward supporting kitchen manager in daily operations, and directing, guiding and motivating team members.
Approve an assortment of menu items available in the facility cafeteria, interpret and follow all applicable HACCP regulatory requirements.

Apply for cook and assistant manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a cook and assistant manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do cook and assistant managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Cook and assistant manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Cons

Handling the details for all the issues is sometimes hard to manage.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

People Busy Money Busy and variety in a job Solving problems