Cook/Team Member Education Requirements And Courses

Cook/team member education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, cook/team members don't need a college education. The most common degree for cook/team members is high school diploma with 49% graduates, with only 22% cook/team member graduates earning bachelor's degree. Cook/team members who decided to graduate from college often finish Johnson & Wales University or St. Louis. Some good skills to have in this position include dishes, work ethic and team work.

Popular cook/team member certifications include Certified Food Manager (CFM), Certified Purchasing Card Professional (CPCP), or OSHA Safety Certificate . To improve cook/team member qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in cook/team member education paths.

What education do you need to become a cook/team member?

What degree do you need to be a cook/team member?

The most common degree for cook/team members is high school diploma, with 49% of cook/team members earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 22% and bachelor's degree degree at 14%.

High School Diploma, 49%

Bachelor's, 22%

Associate, 14%

Diploma, 10%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a cook/team member?

You should major in business to become a cook/team member. 18% of cook/team members major in business. Other common majors for a cook/team member include culinary arts and general studies.

Business, 18%

Culinary Arts, 12%

General Studies, 11%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Other Majors, 49%

Best majors for cook/team members

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.7%
2	Culinary Arts	11.5%
3	General Studies	11.1%
4	Criminal Justice	9.9%
5	Computer Science	4.1%

Show more common cook/team member majors

20 best online courses for cook/team members

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1. Introduction to Food and Our Environment

This course is designed to help learners around the world become more sustainable eaters. Course videos can be watched in any order. Feel free to explore special areas of interest by skipping ahead and coming back to less familiar topics at a later stage. Together, we’ll explore key topics, like how food production impacts the environment and why meat production and protein consumption are often at the center of the debate around sustainability. We’ll introduce the pros and cons of different...

2. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

Cooking is one of the most powerful ways in which we can optimize our enjoyment of great quality food while protecting our health. Even on a tight budget, cooking can be a cost-effective, joyful and rewarding way to love the food that will love us back for a lifetime. In this course, you’ll learn some basic recipes from a home cook and two professional chefs who prioritize healthful eating. You’ll also learn some of the fundamentals of principle-based cooking that can help you break free from...

3. Fun food safety and sanitation course

4.6

(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

4. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

4.4

(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

5. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

4.3

(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

6. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

4.4

(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

7. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

4.6

(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

8. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

9. ISO 22000 (HACCP and PRPs) for Food Safety

4.4

(618)

Standards, analysis, control points, and risk management related to ISO 22000 for food industry professionals...

10. Food Photography: Capturing Food in Your Kitchen

4.7

(3,133)

With DIY Food Photography, you'll be taking better photos in no time with what you have in your own kitchen!...

11. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

12. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

4.5

(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

13. Occupational Health & Safety Training

4.4

(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

14. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

4.5

(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

15. Blockchain applications in Food Safety, Healthcare & Pharma

4.5

(3,019)

Best course to learn about Blockchain Business Applications in Pharma, Food Safety, Healthcare and Insurance Industries...

16. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

4.5

(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

17. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

18. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

4.6

(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

19. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

4.5

(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

20. Basic Food Photography

4.2

(1,349)

Learn how to take delicious food photos from scratch...

Average cook/team member salary by education level

According to our data, cook/team members with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $26,392 annually. Cook/team members with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $25,960.

Cook/team member education level	Cook/team member salary
High School Diploma or Less	$24,578
Bachelor's Degree	$26,392
Some College/ Associate Degree	$25,960