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A lead cook is an essential member of the kitchen staff. Working under the supervision of a Head Chef, lead cooks prepare simple dishes such as soups, salads, sauces, and entrees. Just like any other kitchen staff, the lead cook also contributes to keeping a clean working area and adheres to the kitchen's safety regulations.
Cleaning and preparing ingredients, plating and garnishing meals is also the privilege of the lead cook, as well as supervising the work of line cooks who are below them in the kitchen hierarchy. Keeping cooking stations stocked with ingredients and clean equipment is also the lead cook's task.
This is a full-time job with long hours that desperately needs your passion in order to keep at it for long. Working over the weekends and nights will be a regular thing, and the job is high-paced and stressful. If you are in love with food; however, and wish to dedicate your life to preparing it, this is an excellent position to learn all the secrets you need.
Avg. Salary $35,964
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 16%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.11%
Asian 9.45%
Black or African American 9.34%
Hispanic or Latino 18.32%
Unknown 4.68%
White 57.10%
Genderfemale 27.42%
male 72.58%
Age - 37American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 37Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is basic
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Skills | Percentages |
---|---|
Customer Service | 13.87% |
Food Handling | 13.54% |
Culinary | 11.05% |
Food Service | 10.61% |
Kitchen Equipment | 6.99% |
Lead 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 lead cook certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for lead cooks include Certified Food Manager (CFM) and ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification.
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead 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 lead cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Now it's time to start searching for a lead cook job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
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The average Lead Cook salary in the United States is $35,964 per year or $17 per hour. Lead cook salaries range between $27,000 and $46,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
Nothing to complain about love being a chef
I love to cook make arts everyday from cooking most especially making salads
I don’t like to be underestimated in my field, I don’t like to be looked down on in my field
Lazy workers who do not care about the products that they are working with and their teammates