How to hire a kitchen helper

How to hire a kitchen helper, step by step

Here's a step-by-step kitchen helper hiring guide:

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

What does a kitchen helper do?

Post a kitchen helper job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The kitchen helper hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   Type of Kitchen Helper	Description	Hourly rate
   Kitchen Helper	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$9-15
   Bakery Clerk	A bakery clerk is an employee who is responsible for running the bakery department of supermarkets, boutique bakeries, or baking facilities. Bakery clerks are usually tasked to manage the bakery's cash register, bagging baked goods and then taking customers' payments... Show more	$11-16
   Food Service Worker	Foodservice workers are employees at restaurants, food trucks, or any outlet that provides food to customers. They may be assigned to welcome customers, take food orders, prepare food orders in the kitchen, serve food, handle customer payments, clean up the tables once the guests leave, or maintain the whole store's cleanliness... Show more	$10-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Handling
   • Food Service
   • Wash Dishes
   • Cleanliness
   • Culinary
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Meal Preparation
   • Kitchen Appliances
   • Customer Service
   • Cooking Equipment
   • Meal Service
   • Food Preparation Equipment
   • Kitchen Surfaces
   • Food Preparation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Experience on grill, broiler, slicers, fryers etc.
   • Cook food using servsafe guidelines.
   • Use of POS system and cash register.
   • Maintain multiple kitchens while following ServSafe and HACCP.
   • Be aware of certain allergies and avoid cross contamination.
   • Inquire about any allergies to the ingredients of the dishes.

   More kitchen helper duties

3. Make a budget

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

   Average kitchen helper salary

   $12.40hourly

   $25,796 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level kitchen helper salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average kitchen helper salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$34,686	$17
   2	Washington	$34,148	$16
   3	New York	$32,234	$16
   4	California	$30,863	$15
   5	Colorado	$29,678	$14
   6	Hawaii	$28,387	$14
   7	Iowa	$28,204	$14
   8	Illinois	$27,659	$13
   9	Montana	$27,295	$13
   10	Arizona	$26,667	$13
   11	Nebraska	$26,650	$13
   12	Ohio	$26,527	$13
   13	Wisconsin	$25,623	$12
   14	Nevada	$25,112	$12
   15	Maryland	$25,034	$12
   16	Florida	$24,875	$12
   17	Michigan	$24,392	$12
   18	New Mexico	$24,092	$12
   19	South Carolina	$23,908	$11
   20	Pennsylvania	$23,741	$11

   Average kitchen helper salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Williams International	$33,797	$16.25
   2	Sutter Health	$32,104	$15.43	3
   3	Wequassett Resort and Golf Club	$30,969	$14.89
   4	Kaiser Permanente	$30,743	$14.78	11
   5	San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance	$30,245	$14.54
   6	Ashton Gardens	$29,013	$13.95
   7	Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners	$28,950	$13.92
   8	El Chico	$28,940	$13.91
   9	PCC Community Markets	$28,665	$13.78	2
   10	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$28,650	$13.77	4
   11	Goodwin House	$28,617	$13.76
   12	Cape Cod Healthcare	$28,407	$13.66	2
   13	PALIO	$28,322	$13.62	1
   14	Hyatt Hotels	$28,214	$13.56	12
   15	Market of Choice	$28,114	$13.52	8
   16	FHI 360	$28,001	$13.46
   17	Stoneridge	$27,912	$13.42
   18	Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium	$27,706	$13.32
   19	Jordan Company	$27,609	$13.27
   20	Cypress	$27,471	$13.21

4. Writing a kitchen helper job description

   A job description for a kitchen helper role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a kitchen helper job description:

   Kitchen helper job description example

   *We are currently offering a bonus of $500 after 90 days of continued employment.*

   The Oaks, the premier retirement community for active seniors in Georgetown, is now hiring for a Full-Time Kitchen Helper/Prep Cook . The Kitchen Helper is cross-trained to do all tasks in kitchen, with focus on baking and food prep. This is a training and development role with the hope that you will aspire to become part of our essential culinary personnel in the future. Such potential openings after training and proven performance development and skills include but are not limited to becoming a Cook, Sous Chef, or Executive Chef.

   Job Duties and Requirements:

   · Help serve meals to residents at their tables.

   · Clear dishes from resident’s dining tables.

   · Wash and store dishes.

   · Set dining room tables.

   · Light food preparation tasks as needed.

   Skills and Abilities:

   · To be successful in this role you must have a friendly, professional, and energetic personality and have a passion for improving the lives of others.

   · You must have general knowledge of cleaning and sanitation procedures.

   · To fulfill state regulations, it is required that you maintain food handlers’ permit

   · Possessing a strong desire to advance in the culinary industry by working hard and meeting time lines is essential to this role.

   The Perks:

   We offer a competitive compensation and a benefit package that includes paid time off, Company paid life, the opportunity to elect medical, dental, vision and disability benefits (not available in CA), as well as supplemental life insurance. In addition, we offer a 401k plan with company match at the company’s discretion, and an employee assistance program (EAP). We also have a very unique culture and love to celebrate year-round!

   How to Apply:

   At Hawthorn we pride ourselves on hard work, integrity, and operating with total transparency. We also hold the belief that you can never go wrong doing the right thing.

   
   Please come by and complete an application, we would love to meet you!

   OR

   Submit your most recently updated resume for consideration.

   For more information about our company, please visit our website at www.seniorlivinginstyle.com.

   
   The Oaks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do pre-employment background checks, employment verifications, and reference checks.

   Company DescriptionWe believe that The Oaks Gracious Retirement Living is so much more than walls and windows - it's a place for our residents to enjoy home-cooked meals, game nights, or a quiet evening with family and friends.
   
   At Hawthorn Senior Living, our retirement communities offer seniors the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of living in a community environment while maintaining independence and privacy. Our caring concern for our residents is the foundation that leads to outstanding resident services. As contributing members of the communities we serve, what is most important is that we love our residents. We care about people and because our residents deserve the best, we are looking for employees who understand caring and compassionate customer service. Working in our retirement communities, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our seniors every day.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right kitchen helper for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with kitchen helpers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit kitchen helpers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting kitchen helpers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 kitchen helper

   Once you've decided on a perfect kitchen helper candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new kitchen helper first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 kitchen helper?