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Prep cook/dishwasher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, prep cook/dishwashers don't need a college education. The most common degree for prep cook/dishwashers is high school diploma with 57% graduates, with only 16% prep cook/dishwasher graduates earning diploma. Prep cook/dishwashers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or St. Louis. Some good skills to have in this position include wash dishes, food preparation equipment and dishwashers.

Popular prep cook/dishwasher certifications include Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS), Certified Food Manager (CFM), or ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification. To improve prep cook/dishwasher qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in prep cook/dishwasher education paths.

What education do you need to become a prep cook/dishwasher?

What degree do you need to be a prep cook/dishwasher?

The most common degree for prep cook/dishwashers is high school diploma, with 57% of prep cook/dishwashers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 16% and diploma degree at 12%.
  • High School Diploma, 57%
  • Diploma, 16%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Bachelor's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a prep cook/dishwasher?

You should major in culinary arts to become a prep cook/dishwasher. 17% of prep cook/dishwashers major in culinary arts. Other common majors for a prep cook/dishwasher include business and general studies.

Best majors for prep cook/dishwashers

RankMajorPercentages
1Culinary Arts17.4%
2Business16.6%
3General Studies15.4%
4Criminal Justice5.8%
5Computer Science5.0%

20 best online courses for prep cook/dishwashers

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1. Cooking for Busy Healthy People

coursera

Cooking is one of the most powerful ways in which we can optimize our enjoyment of great quality food while protecting our health. Even on a tight budget, cooking can be a cost-effective, joyful and rewarding way to love the food that will love us back for a lifetime. In this course, you’ll learn some basic recipes from a home cook and two professional chefs who prioritize healthful eating. You’ll also learn some of the fundamentals of principle-based cooking that can help you break free from...

2. Child Nutrition and Cooking

coursera

Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...

3. Cook Real Food: How to Make Simple Plant-Based Meals

udemy
4.6
(1,644)

Learn how to cook whole plant foods to make quick, easy, and healthy vegan meals for practical everyday eating...

4. Fun food safety and sanitation course

udemy
4.6
(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

5. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

6. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

udemy
4.3
(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

7. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

udemy
4.5
(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

8. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

9. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

udemy
4.5
(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

10. Tableau Prep for Business Intelligence

udemy
4.7
(804)

Learn how to use Tableau Prep & Tableau Prep Builder to clean, shape and prepare data for analysis & visualization...

11. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

udemy
4.5
(958)

A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

12. Occupational Health & Safety Training

udemy
4.4
(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

13. Basic Fire Safety Awareness

udemy
4.3
(776)

Basic Fire Safety Awareness - Your Gateway towards Career in Fire Safety...

14. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

udemy
4.6
(465)

A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

15. Vegan Nutrition Health Coach Certification

udemy
4.6
(2,112)

Become a Vegan Nutrition Certified Health Coach, Learn Vegan Cooking, Embrace a Holistic Approach to Food...

16. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

udemy
4.4
(478)

OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

17. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.

udemy
4.5
(2,235)

How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...

18. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

udemy
4.6
(4,258)

Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

19. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert

udemy
4.3
(484)

Become an expert in Fire Safety, Fire Hazards Control, Fire Evacuation Plans, and Fire Risk Assessment...

20. Zbrush: Hard Surface Sculpting for All Levels!

udemy
4
(842)

An in depth tutorial to sculpting hard surface through Booleans...

Average prep cook/dishwasher salary by education level

Prep cook/dishwashers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,664 annually. With a Associate degree, prep cook/dishwashers earn a median annual income of $32,927 compared to $32,241 for prep cook/dishwashers with an High School Diploma degree.
Prep cook/dishwasher education levelPrep cook/dishwasher salary
High School Diploma or Less$32,241
Bachelor's Degree$33,664
No Education$31,886
Some College/ Associate Degree$32,927

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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