How long does it take to become a Grill Cook?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a grill cook. That is the time it takes to learn specific grill cook skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How To Become A Grill Cook: What It Is and Career Path

What is a grill cook and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A grill cook specializes in cooking food on a grill. They are responsible for preparing and cooking a variety of dishes, such as meats, seafood, vegetables, and sandwiches. The grill cook must be skilled at managing the temperature of the grill and timing the cooking of different items, to ensure that everything is properly cooked and served hot. They also need to be able to work quickly and efficiently, often cooking multiple dishes at once.

ScoreGrill CookUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,895

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.21%

Asian 8.49%

Black or African American 10.52%

Hispanic or Latino 16.25%

Unknown 4.82%

White 58.72%

Gender

female 23.07%

male 76.93%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a grill cook?

Pros

Potential for advancement within the restaurant industry
Can be physically demanding, leading to increased fitness
Often comes with employee discounts on food and drinks
Tips can provide additional income
Can lead to networking opportunities within the restaurant industry

Cons

Exposure to smoke and fumes
Risk of burns or cuts from cooking equipment
Requires standing for extended periods
Can involve dealing with difficult customers or co-workers
May have limited opportunities for professional growth outside of the restaurant industry

Key steps to become a grill cook

Explore grill cook education requirements

Most common grill cook degrees

High School Diploma

48.5 %

Associate

19.4 %

Diploma

14.2 %

Start to develop specific grill cook skills

Skills	Percentages
Sanitation Standards	15.68%
Kitchen Equipment	13.98%
Safety Standards	12.78%
Food Handling	8.92%
Math	6.67%

Complete relevant grill cook training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New grill cooks 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 grill cook based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real grill cook resumes.

Gain additional grill cook certifications

Grill cook 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 grill cook certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for grill cooks include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research grill cook duties and responsibilities

Manage portions of grill food items and garnish them, regulate temperature of broilers, grills and roasters.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Utilize for relief management, new hire training, inventory control and profitable aspects of people and service.
Maintain station clean food preparation areas; operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, or griddles.

Prepare your grill cook resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your grill cook 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 grill cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable grill cook resume templates

Build a professional grill cook 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 grill cook resume.

Apply for grill cook jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a grill cook 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 grill cooks rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Grill cook reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

A total time you spend knowing and communicate and get attachment to the clients

Cons

Leaving work when it's time to leave

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I like being able to work with food and get creative. I enjoy learning new techniques for a set of skills that can be applied outside the workplace.

Cons

It's pretty stressful on the body. I definitely could not see myself doing this the rest of my life; I am 19 and I can admit it's hard work - and I would consider myself in shape. Like dishwashers, I do consider myself underappreciated as well. We don't make very much money - In some cases, the servers make more than us! I think it's because our specific organization doesn't allow the kitchen staff to get tips at all.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I love to cook make arts everyday from cooking most especially making salads

Cons

I don’t like to be underestimated in my field, I don’t like to be looked down on in my field

What is a grill cook and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a grill cook?

Grill cook career paths

Key steps to become a grill cook

Explore grill cook education requirements

Most common grill cook degrees

Start to develop specific grill cook skills

Complete relevant grill cook training and internships

Gain additional grill cook certifications

Research grill cook duties and responsibilities

Prepare your grill cook resume

Choose from 10+ customizable grill cook resume templates

Apply for grill cook jobs

How did you land your first grill cook job

Average grill cook salary

How do grill cooks rate their job?

Grill cook reviews

Grill cook FAQs

How long does it take to become a Grill Cook?

Search for grill cook jobs

Grill cook jobs by state