How to hire a cook/server

How to hire a cook/server, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cook/server hiring guide:

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

What does a cook/server do?

Post a cook/server job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the cook/server you need to hire. Certain cook/server roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A cook/server's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, cook/servers 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 cook/servers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Cook/Server	Description	Hourly rate
   Cook/Server	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$11-17
   Crew Member	Crew members assist in the overall daily operations of a business, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other industries needing a large workforce. Crew members' duties include attending on a customer's needs, processing payments, taking orders, and handling sanitation services... Show more	$10-17
   Mexican Food Cook	A Mexican Food Cook works at restaurants or similar establishments that specialize in Mexican cuisine. Their responsibilities revolve around cutting meat and vegetable in portions, cooking and preparing according to company menu and guidelines, monitoring the supply of ingredients, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Customer Orders
   • Safety Standards
   • Food Preparation
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • POS
   • Allergies
   • Drink Orders
   • Fryers
   • Mathematics
   • Food Products
   • Cooking Food
   • Customer Complaints
   • Quality Food

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
   • Assist customers, bag groceries, replenish carts, and clean store.
   • Pay close attention to detail while multitasking between communicating over the intercom, utilizing the POS, and order placing.
   • Make smoothies, coffee, customer service, cashier, fill bakery cooler, inventory, stock, and clean!
   • Operate the filtration system used for the fryers to keep all sanitation guidelines up to standards as per the health department.
   • Operate, and maintain clean and safe cooking equipment like pressure cooker deep fryers, plate grills, and deep fryers.

   More cook/server duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the cook/server job description is a good way to get more applicants. A cook/server 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 cook/server in Louisiana may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level cook/server. Additionally, a cook/server with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average cook/server salary

   $14.29hourly

   $29,716 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level cook/server salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average cook/server salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$36,775	$18
   2	Oregon	$35,058	$17
   3	New York	$32,892	$16
   4	California	$32,856	$16
   5	Minnesota	$32,492	$16
   6	Wisconsin	$31,731	$15
   7	Illinois	$29,635	$14
   8	Pennsylvania	$29,421	$14
   9	Maryland	$29,400	$14
   10	Iowa	$27,774	$13
   11	Nebraska	$27,590	$13
   12	Colorado	$27,048	$13
   13	Arizona	$26,867	$13
   14	Nevada	$26,846	$13
   15	Missouri	$26,337	$13
   16	Virginia	$24,931	$12
   17	Texas	$24,495	$12
   18	Tennessee	$23,668	$11
   19	Louisiana	$22,430	$11
   20	South Carolina	$21,885	$11

   Average cook/server salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Harley School	$63,126	$30.35
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$43,542	$20.93
   3	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$42,683	$20.52	15
   4	University of California	$40,196	$19.32	8
   5	Feather Falls Casino	$40,085	$19.27	2
   6	Eagle Ranch	$39,769	$19.12
   7	Miami Valley Gaming	$39,297	$18.89	5
   8	Fidelity Investments	$38,376	$18.45
   9	California Institute of Technology	$38,356	$18.44	1
   10	UC Santa Barbara	$37,741	$18.14
   11	Chewy	$36,472	$17.53
   12	John Muir Health	$35,429	$17.03
   13	PeaceHealth	$35,192	$16.92	6
   14	University Of Minnesota Physicians	$35,080	$16.87
   15	The University of Kansas Health System	$34,960	$16.81	4
   16	Deerfield Management	$34,716	$16.69
   17	Home Health & Hospice Care	$34,668	$16.67
   18	Chesapeake Energy	$34,491	$16.58
   19	Monarch Healthcare	$34,224	$16.45	8
   20	University of Pennsylvania	$34,142	$16.41	5

4. Writing a cook/server job description

   A good cook/server job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a cook/server job description:

   Cook/server job description example

   Starting pay up to $12/hr based on experience and position.

   
   

   When you join Jack’s, you are part of the family. It’s not just something we say, family is who we are.

   
   

   We accomplish our mission of being the most loved QSR brand in the South because of our people and our values.

   
   

   We are always looking for people who believe in being the fabric and future of our communities.

   
   

   If you are looking for a place that values your desire to learn, grow, succeed, and teammates who value you as a person, then Jack’s is for you.

   
   

   We invest in our people with growth opportunities, family culture, career development, offer competitive health benefits, financial security with weekly pay and 401k match along with other perks.

   
   

   We want everyone who joins our team to reach their full potential.

   
   

   RESPONSIBILITIES:

   Greet each customer with a warm welcome and a smile

   Be great at multi-tasking and never wait to be told what to do

   Be a quick learner and understand what it takes to get the job done

   Be willing to learn new ways of doing things, while helping others along the way, too

   Interacts with customers in a pleasant and up-beat fashion

   Is punctual, attentive to detail, friendly, willing to learn, reliable, and, above all, honest

   Maintains a neat and clean appearance

   Follows food safety procedures

   Maintains a safe working condition

   Anticipates and identifies problems and helps find solutions

   Follows the direction of the Shift Supervisor and/or manager

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS:

   Must have FUN!

   Must be at least 16 years old (under 18 requires working papers)

   Willingness to work on your feet

   Able to lift 50 pounds to waist level

   Willing to work a flexible schedule

   
   

   BENEFITS FOR FULL TIME TEAM MEMBERS

   Weekly Pay

   Medical & Dental insurance

   401K with Company Match

   Vacation Pay

   Free Meal per shift

   Uniforms Provided

   Balanced work-life company culture

   Paid Training & Opportunities to advance

   Jack’s Perks (discounts on electronics, movie tickets, pet insurance, apparel and more!)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find cook/servers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any cook/servers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level cook/servers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit cook/servers, 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.

   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 cook/server

   Once you've selected the best cook/server 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.

   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 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a cook/server?