How to hire a kitchen staff

How to hire a kitchen staff, step by step

Here's a step-by-step kitchen staff 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 staff job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new kitchen staff
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a kitchen staff do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a kitchen staff, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a kitchen staff to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a kitchen staff that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of kitchen staff salaries for various roles:

   Type of Kitchen Staff	Description	Hourly rate
   Kitchen Staff	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.	$11-17
   Cook/Server	Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests... Show more	$11-17
   Food Prep	The primary duty of a food prep is to accomplish various food handling and preparation tasks according to the direction of supervisors, chefs, or cooks. One can work in different establishments or industry where there is food involved... Show more	$9-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Handling
   • Cleanliness
   • Sanitation Standards
   • Quality Food
   • Food Products
   • Meal Preparation
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Customer Service
   • Food Orders
   • Dishwashers
   • Food Preparation
   • Food Service
   • Safety Standards
   • Clean Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist the catering manager to manage, prepare, cook and deliver each day s caterings.
   • Present an enjoyable and positive atmosphere while preparing an outstanding product, manage inventory, and maintain cleanliness
   • Conduct daily inspections for overall cleanliness of all areas and proper sanitizing of food preparation surfaces.
   • Increase sales by upselling and signing customers up for discount cards
   • Prep food for dinner dishes, bar back, work on fryers, and wash dishes.
   • Cook, wash dishes, serve customers, prepare food for caterings, and stock shelves.

   More kitchen staff duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your kitchen staff job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A kitchen staff salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a kitchen staff in Kansas may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level kitchen staff usually earns less than a senior-level kitchen staff. Additionally, a kitchen staff with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average kitchen staff salary

   $14.33hourly

   $29,816 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level kitchen staff salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average kitchen staff salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$38,426	$18
   2	Washington	$38,266	$18
   3	Oregon	$35,869	$17
   4	Massachusetts	$35,106	$17
   5	Colorado	$32,851	$16
   6	New York	$32,251	$16
   7	Illinois	$31,823	$15
   8	Arizona	$28,535	$14
   9	Utah	$28,458	$14
   10	Florida	$28,149	$14
   11	Pennsylvania	$28,006	$13
   12	Texas	$27,225	$13
   13	North Carolina	$26,631	$13
   14	South Carolina	$26,535	$13
   15	Ohio	$26,139	$13
   16	Indiana	$26,000	$13
   17	Missouri	$25,035	$12
   18	Georgia	$24,597	$12
   19	Kansas	$23,700	$11
   20	Oklahoma	$23,276	$11

   Average kitchen staff salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Road Home	$42,283	$20.33	2
   2	DoorDash	$38,001	$18.27	31
   3	United Service Technologies	$37,686	$18.12
   4	PCC Community Markets	$34,947	$16.80
   5	McMenamins Pubs & Breweries	$34,933	$16.79	1
   6	Carrabba's	$34,685	$16.68
   7	The General	$34,321	$16.50	1
   8	House of Blues	$33,991	$16.34	1
   9	Hyatt Hotels	$33,962	$16.33	26
   10	DIGS.com	$32,706	$15.72	14
   11	Msu	$32,629	$15.69	7
   12	Legends Hospitality	$32,135	$15.45
   13	Samaritan House	$32,055	$15.41
   14	The Shed	$31,836	$15.31
   15	Riveredge Hospital	$31,635	$15.21
   16	University Club of Grand Rapids	$31,390	$15.09
   17	Winter Park Resort	$31,369	$15.08
   18	W Holding Company	$31,309	$15.05
   19	Athlos Academies	$31,258	$15.03
   20	Legend Holdings	$31,112	$14.96	40

4. Writing a kitchen staff job description

   A job description for a kitchen staff 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 staff job description:

   Kitchen staff job description example

   We are looking for an experienced cook to fill a vacant spot in our kitchen staff and contribute to the overall excellence of our restaurant.
   
   The person we are hoping to employ is first and foremost a skilled, organized, and creative cook. We are looking for someone to work as a team player, follow instructions, and help us delight our customers with delicious food from our menu. In addition to cooking prowess, great communication and organizational skills are paramount.
   
   A good candidate for this job is a person with attention to detail who can keep the kitchen tidy and clean all while preparing, cooking, and arranging food together with the rest of our kitchen staff. We pride ourselves in our exceptional service, and we expect nothing less from our cooks. The advantage goes to candidates with a diploma from a culinary school.
   Responsibilities: Maintaining a sanitized and well-organized kitchen. Preparing workstations for cooking. Preparing and maintaining kitchen equipment. Checking the quality of the ingredients. Preparing cooking ingredients using various techniques. Cooking food using various culinary techniques. Arranging food and ensuring appealing presentation. Manage food storage, stock, and ingredient orders. Job Requirements: Must have prior experience as a cook. Must be skilled in operating kitchen equipment. Must be skilled in various cooking techniques. Must know and follow sanitation procedures. Must showcase teamwork and communication skills. Must showcase great organizational skills. Must be able to multitask and act quickly. Company Introduction Named to the Forbes America's Best Large Employers of 2022 List
   COME WORK FOR RED LOBSTER
   Everything we do is a celebration of seafood – from
   how we source our fish and shellfish to serving
   up new ways for you to enjoy it. Since 1968,
   we’ve been committed to bringing you a
   seafood experience you won’t find anywhere else. That's how we Sea Food Differently.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right kitchen staff 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 staff they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit kitchen staff 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 staff job on Zippia to find and recruit kitchen staff candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting kitchen staff 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 staff

   Once you've found the kitchen staff candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new kitchen staff 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a kitchen staff?