How long does it take to become a Kitchen Manager?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a kitchen manager. That is the time it takes to learn specific kitchen manager skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 6 to 8 years years to become a kitchen manager.

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

What is a kitchen manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Food, anyone? Now, we are talking! I mean, what's the best way to pursue your love for foods than working for the food industry? Imagine coming to your workplace every day with the fragrance of burgers and roasted beef, ah! Priceless! That's enough for some kind of motivation, don't you think?

A kitchen manager knows the all the ins and outs of the kitchen, meaning they have long years of experience. Basically, a kitchen manager is a senior position with a strong record of expertise under their belts. Their skills are honed by years of interacting with people and improving the quality of the their establishment. Leadership and managerial skills - those two are always inseparable. At the same time, they help chefs develop new items on the menu, according to the customers' demands and trends. Yay, free tasting!

Being a kitchen manager might sound like a hassle, but really, as people say, you wouldn't get tired of doing something you've always loved. I mean, who would even hate food? But if you think you love it more than anyone does, then why don't you go and kickstart your career?

ScoreKitchen ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,448

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 7.58%

Black or African American 10.82%

Hispanic or Latino 16.11%

Unknown 5.60%

White 59.16%

Gender

female 27.96%

male 72.04%

Age - 38

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 - 38

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a kitchen manager

Explore kitchen manager education requirements

Most common kitchen manager degrees

Associate

31.1 %

Bachelor's

30.2 %

High School Diploma

27.0 %

Start to develop specific kitchen manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	14.68%
Kitchen Equipment	13.02%
Cleanliness	9.42%
Food Handling	9.21%
Fifo	7.70%

Complete relevant kitchen manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New kitchen managers 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 based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real kitchen manager resumes.

Gain additional kitchen manager certifications

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

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

More About Certifications

Research kitchen manager duties and responsibilities

Manage the daily operations of the kitchen, providing professional leadership and direction to all personnel.
Supervise cooks and manage the preparation, portioning, garnishing, and storage of all food items.
Manage kitchen staff and cook, develop new recipes, inventory and ordering, and fill in for bartending.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.

Prepare your kitchen manager resume

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

Build a professional kitchen manager 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 resume.