How To Become A Kitchen Manager/Cook: What It Is and Career Path

What is a kitchen manager/cook 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 kitchen manager/cook. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.67 an hour? That's $34,683 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 32,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreKitchen Manager/CookUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,683

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 7.17%

Black or African American 10.39%

Hispanic or Latino 15.17%

Unknown 5.08%

White 61.33%

Gender

female 32.07%

male 67.93%

Age - 34

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 - 34

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a kitchen manager/cook

Explore kitchen manager/cook education requirements

Most common kitchen manager/cook degrees

High School Diploma

36.2 %

Associate

25.9 %

Bachelor's

20.5 %

Start to develop specific kitchen manager/cook skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Preparation	12.24%
Food Service	8.82%
Food Orders	7.06%
Kitchen Equipment	6.61%
POS	5.37%

Complete relevant kitchen manager/cook training and internships

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

Gain additional kitchen manager/cook certifications

Kitchen manager/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 kitchen manager/cook certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for kitchen managers/cook include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research kitchen manager/cook duties and responsibilities

Manage kitchen, cashier, prepare sandwiches, clean up, stock merchandise and change fryers.
Manage kitchen with experience on a flat top and char broiler, running fryers and using other instruments.
Train and manage kitchen personnel and supervise/coordinate all relate culinary activities; estimate food consumption and requisition of food.
Cleaned/Sanitize kitchen, dishes and dining area to ServSafe standards.

Prepare your kitchen manager/cook resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your kitchen manager/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 kitchen manager/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 kitchen manager/cook resume templates

Build a professional kitchen manager/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 kitchen manager/cook resume.