How to hire a personal chef

How to hire a personal chef, step by step

Here's a step-by-step personal chef hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The personal chef 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

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   Hiring the perfect personal chef also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of personal chefs.

   Type of Personal Chef	Description	Hourly rate
   Personal Chef	Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.	$14-34
   Chef De Cuisine	A chef de cuisine, also known as an executive chef, oversees a kitchen's daily operations in public and private establishments to ensure food quality and efficient services. Their duties require cooking and leadership skills because they involve leading menu development and meal preparation, coordinating staff, delegating responsibilities, selecting and sourcing ingredients, and handling customer issues and concerns promptly and professionally... Show more	$17-35
   Chef De Partie	A Chef De Partie is responsible for supervising a section of the kitchen, such as pastry, butchery, fish, or sauces. They enforce strict health and hygiene standards.	$11-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Plan Menus
   • In-Home
   • Culinary
   • Food Preparation
   • Meal Planning
   • Meal Prep
   • Food Safety
   • Food Service
   • Diet Restrictions
   • Allergies
   • Vegan
   • Gluten Free
   • Event Planning
   • ServSafe

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Travel and manage additional kitchens & staff at estates in Hamptons, NJ & NYC.
   • Cook and manage daily household functions for a large extend family in the Amagansette and NYC.
   • Manage the kitchens, purchase groceries, supplies and equipment; prepares invoicing, and handles receipts receivable.
   • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
   • Prepare and package scratch-made, healthy meals, while consider allergies and personal taste.
   • Shop for client's groceries, and prepare weekly meals in the clients home while maintaining ServSafe health standards.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your personal chef job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A personal chef salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, personal chefs' average salary in idaho is 64% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level personal chefs earn 57% less than senior-level personal chefs.
   • Certifications. A personal chef with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a personal chef's salary.

   Average personal chef salary

   $47,681yearly

   $22.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level personal chef salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a personal chef job description

   A personal chef job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a personal chef job description:

   Personal chef job description example

   Chefs For Seniors is a personal chef service that provides meals for independent seniors in the Pasadena, Glendale & San Gabriel Valley areas. We are currently seeking a part-time professional chef or line cook to join our team.
   As a Personal Chef with Chefs For Seniors, you are able to:
   - Make a difference for seniors in your community
   - Utilize your culinary skills and creativity
   - Have a schedule between Monday and Friday, no nights and weekends!
   
   We provide training, uniforms, and equipment. Your role as a Personal Chef includes shopping for groceries, cooking in our clients' homes, cool food per safe standards, package and label the food and clean the kitchen before you leave. You must follow our processes and procedures to accomplish the services. You must also be able to independently perform the entire process and present yourself as professional and hospitable while working with people in their homes.
   
   If you would like to be part of this socially innovative company and meet the requirements below, send us your resume today.
   
   Requirements:
   
   Legally authorized to work in the US
   Valid driver's license and working vehicle & insurance
   Working smartphone with a data plan
   Can lift 25+ pounds
   Pass criminal background check
   2+ years of experience cooking in a commercial kitchen
   Licensed with food handlers certification
   Interest in working with the senior population
   High school diploma or equivalent
   Must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, subject to reasonable accommodations. Proof of vaccination required
   Culinary Degree preferred, but not required
   
   You are applying for a job to work for an independently owned Franchisee and not for the Franchisor.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit personal chefs, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 personal chef

   Once you've decided on a perfect personal chef 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new personal chef 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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