How long does it take to become a Food Prep?

It takes one year or less to become a food prep. That is the time it takes to learn specific food prep skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How To Become A Food Prep: What It Is and Career Path

What is a food prep and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A food prep worker prepares ingredients and meals in a restaurant or food service setting. They cut, measure, and mix ingredients, and follow recipes while maintaining food safety standards. A food prep worker may also clean and sanitize the kitchen and equipment. Their role ensures the accurate and efficient preparation of dishes, allowing for a smooth service. A food prep professional needs attention to detail, organization skills, and the ability to work well under pressure.

ScoreFood PrepUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $25,840

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.0

Growth Rate 14%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 6.49%

Black or African American 9.64%

Hispanic or Latino 18.63%

Unknown 6.92%

White 57.47%

Gender

female 48.88%

male 51.12%

Age - 21

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 - 21

Stress Level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.8

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

9.7

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Food Prep?

Pros

Potential for flexible schedules and part-time hours
Entry-level position with room for growth
Often provides free or discounted meals
Chance to work with a diverse group of people
Work can be physically active, providing exercise

Cons

Requires standing for long periods of time
May involve working nights, weekends, and holidays
Can be physically demanding, including lifting heavy objects
Low pay and limited benefits for entry-level positions
Work may involve exposure to hazardous chemicals or equipment

Key steps to become a food prep

Explore food prep education requirements

Most common food prep degrees

High School Diploma

48.4 %

Bachelor's

16.5 %

Associate

16.4 %

Start to develop specific food prep skills

Skills	Percentages
Food Service	17.44%
Food Handling	13.28%
Taking Care	12.19%
Cleanliness	9.43%
Good Communication	5.68%

Complete relevant food prep training and internships

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

Research food prep duties and responsibilities

Provide quality customer service while providing assistance in food preparation and maintaining store cleanliness.
Operate blenders, stoves, and steamers.
Fast pace and quick learning worker also good math skills.
Clean dishes, meat and cheese slicers, refrigerators and coolers.

Prepare your food prep resume

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

Choose From 10+ Customizable Food Prep Resume templates

Build a professional Food Prep 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 Food Prep resume.

Apply for food prep jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a food prep 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 food preps rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Food Prep 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 Jul 2020

Pros

Not sedentary, moving around. Creativity.

Cons

Repetitive tasks. Or obviously, working with people who are highly critical.

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Cons

Disorganized and very little room to improve.

What is a food prep and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a Food Prep?

Food Prep career paths

Key steps to become a food prep

Explore food prep education requirements

Most common food prep degrees

Start to develop specific food prep skills

Complete relevant food prep training and internships

Research food prep duties and responsibilities

Prepare your food prep resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Food Prep Resume templates

Apply for food prep jobs

How Did You Land Your First Food Prep Job

Average food prep salary

How do food preps rate their job?

Food Prep reviews

Food Prep FAQs

How long does it take to become a Food Prep?

Search for food prep jobs

Food Prep jobs by state