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What is a cooking instructor 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 cooking instructor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $42.08 an hour? That's $87,520 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 419,300 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCooking InstructorUS Average
Salary
6.8

Avg. Salary $87,520

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.2

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.19%

Asian 8.79%

Black or African American 8.88%

Hispanic or Latino 17.99%

Unknown 4.82%

White 58.32%

Gender

female 74.61%

male 25.39%

Age - 37
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 - 37
Stress level
6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Cooking instructor career paths

Key steps to become a cooking instructor

  1. Explore cooking instructor education requirements

    Most common cooking instructor degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.2 %

    Associate

    22.4 %

    Master's

    11.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific cooking instructor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Kids38.56%
    Culinary22.36%
    Nutrition Education17.75%
    Healthy Food8.39%
    Food Preparation3.05%
  3. Complete relevant cooking instructor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cooking instructors 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 cooking instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cooking instructor resumes.
  4. Research cooking instructor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and mentor the college caf team including training of new employees, students, and interns.
    • Plan recipes, shop for groceries, gather materials for cooking.
    • Research and develop menus of Thai, Moroccan, Greek and Turkish cuisines.
    • Expedite and delegate kitchen tasks to students to ensure dishes are prepared within allot class time while teaching basic culinary skills
  5. Prepare your cooking instructor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cooking instructor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a cooking instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable cooking instructor resume templates

    Build a professional cooking instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your cooking instructor resume.
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
    Cooking Instructor Resume
  6. Apply for cooking instructor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a cooking instructor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How did you land your first cooking instructor job

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Average cooking instructor salary

The average cooking instructor salary in the United States is $87,520 per year or $42 per hour. Cooking instructor salaries range between $36,000 and $207,000 per year.

Average cooking instructor salary
$87,520 Yearly
$42.08 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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