How To Become An Assistant Cook: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant cook and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an assistant cook. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.46 an hour? That's $34,244 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 419,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreAssistant CookUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,244

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.2

Growth Rate 16%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.18%

Asian 8.59%

Black or African American 8.41%

Hispanic or Latino 19.40%

Unknown 4.81%

White 57.62%

Gender

female 54.53%

male 45.47%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress Level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.3

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.4

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant cook

Explore assistant cook education requirements

Most common assistant cook degrees

High School Diploma

36.5 %

Bachelor's

23.9 %

Associate

22.5 %

Start to develop specific assistant cook skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Handling	11.76%
Kitchen Equipment	11.11%
Dishes	9.33%
Food Service	8.44%
Customer Service	7.25%

Complete relevant assistant cook training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant cooks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant cook based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant cook resumes.

Gain additional assistant cook certifications

Assistant 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 assistant cook certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant cooks include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.

Prepare your assistant cook resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant 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 an assistant cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Cook Resume templates

Build a professional Assistant Cook resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Assistant Cook resume.

Apply for assistant cook jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an assistant cook job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do assistant cooks rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Assistant Cook reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

Because ,I like making sure the dishes etc,food is prepared for customers!!!

Cons

None

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I like being able to work with food and get creative. I enjoy learning new techniques for a set of skills that can be applied outside the workplace.

Cons

It's pretty stressful on the body. I definitely could not see myself doing this the rest of my life; I am 19 and I can admit it's hard work - and I would consider myself in shape. Like dishwashers, I do consider myself underappreciated as well. We don't make very much money - In some cases, the servers make more than us! I think it's because our specific organization doesn't allow the kitchen staff to get tips at all.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I love to cook make arts everyday from cooking most especially making salads

Cons

I don’t like to be underestimated in my field, I don’t like to be looked down on in my field

What is an assistant cook and how to become one

Assistant Cook career paths

Key steps to become an assistant cook

Explore assistant cook education requirements

Most common assistant cook degrees

Start to develop specific assistant cook skills

Complete relevant assistant cook training and internships

Gain additional assistant cook certifications

Research assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Prepare your assistant cook resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Cook Resume templates

Apply for assistant cook jobs

How Did You Land Your First Assistant Cook Job

Average assistant cook salary

How do assistant cooks rate their job?

Assistant Cook reviews