How To Become A Cook Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cook manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a cook manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.63 an hour? That's $36,668 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 419,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCook ManagerUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,668

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.2

Growth Rate 16%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.15%

Asian 7.37%

Black or African American 9.17%

Hispanic or Latino 16.00%

Unknown 4.76%

White 61.56%

Gender

female 40.30%

male 59.70%

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 a cook manager

Explore cook manager education requirements

Most common cook manager degrees

High School Diploma

38.9 %

Bachelor's

24.0 %

Associate

21.0 %

Start to develop specific cook manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	33.50%
Customer Service	20.48%
Food Service	5.37%
Payroll	4.90%
Food Preparation	3.33%

Complete relevant cook manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cook managers 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 a cook manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cook manager resumes.

Gain additional cook manager certifications

Cook manager 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 cook manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for cook managers include Certified Food Manager (CFM) and Food Safety Manager Certification.

More About Certifications

Research cook manager duties and responsibilities

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Utilize FIFO and organize shelves.
Educate and confirm employees follow ServSafe procedures
Utilize fryers, broilers, grills, ovens and other industrial cooking equipment.

Prepare your cook manager resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Cook Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Cook Manager 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 Cook Manager resume.

Apply for cook manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a cook manager 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