Career Profile – Chefs, Cooks, and Food Preparation Workers

Chefs, cooks and food preparation workers prepare, season and cook a wide variety of food ranging from basic soups and salads to more complex entrées and desserts.

Many individuals in the culinary industry start at a young age with little or no prior experience while others go to school for a degree. Starting wages vary depending on the education level of the applicant.

Common responsibilities include:

• Preparation of ingredients for mixture into a main entrée, appetizer or dessert (slicing, peeling, washing, etc)
• Following directions of the head chef
• Reading details of food preparation from a recipe
• Cooking
• Preparation and arranging for distribution to servers

Job opportunities for chefs, cooks and food preparation workers are expected to be plentiful because food service outlets are growing and expanding rapidly.

The average food worker is typically young and will go on to another profession or higher paying job in a fairly short period of time so there are always openings available for entry level cooks and food preparation workers. The average starting salary is $22,000 a year.

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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor