What does a Kitchen Assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a Kitchen Assistant do

A kitchen assistant is responsible for assisting chefs, cooks, or managers. Most of the duties are given by supervising officers, and it will revolve around preparing ingredients, cutting or washing meat and vegetables, and performing basic cooking tasks such as boiling and frying. A kitchen assistant is also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, washing used materials, sanitizing utensils, organizing food inventory. Other tasks include unloading deliveries of food supplies and sorting the ingredients accordingly.

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Kitchen assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real kitchen assistant resumes:

  • Assist the catering manager to manage, prepare, cook and deliver each day s caterings.
  • Prepare and store vegetables; maintain cleanliness and organization of kitchen; observe food safety and health regulations
  • Mix water with detergents and acids to prepare cleaning solutions according to specifications, general cleanliness according to safety and company guidelines
  • Operate dishwasher and train volunteers.
  • Maintain the dishwasher and efficiently clean kitchenware.
  • Skil in grilling, roasting, steaming, platting individual and buffet style.
  • Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, saut ing, steaming and grilling.
  • Create pizzas for customers as listed or request and run a large pizza oven.

Kitchen assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Kitchen Assistants are proficient in Wine, Kitchen Equipment, and POS. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Dexterity, and Physical strength.

We break down the percentage of Kitchen Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Wine, 17%

    Provided kitchen support for a small wine bar

  • Kitchen Equipment, 15%

    Supervised students while operating commercial kitchen equipment, monitoring performance and providing feedback to promote adherence to regulations and kitchen procedures.

  • POS, 15%

    Maintain food integrity, Maintain Cleanliness standards, inventory, product ordering, maintaining POS systems, catering.

  • Culinary, 11%

    Assist the chef-instructor in teaching culinary classes, Clean and organize the kitchens and storage areas

  • Kitchen Operations, 8%

    Promoted to Kitchen Manager supervising kitchen staff and daily kitchen operations.

  • Cooking Equipment, 8%

    Operate cooking equipment, Obtain information from individuals, Follow recipes, Measure or weigh ingredients and Read work orders and instructions

"wine," "kitchen equipment," and "pos" are among the most common skills that kitchen assistants use at work. You can find even more kitchen assistant responsibilities below, including:

All kitchen assistant skills

The three companies that hire the most kitchen assistants are:

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Compare different kitchen assistants

Kitchen assistant vs. Food prep/dishwasher

A food prep/dishwasher's role is to perform food preparation and cleaning duties in a kitchen, under the supervision and directives of a chef or manager. One of their primary responsibilities is washing dishes, sanitizing utensils, and preparing ingredients by washing, peeling, and cutting them according to size. They may also participate in organizing, sorting, and putting them in proper storage. There are also instances when they have to perform basic cooking tasks ranging from boiling and frying to baking. Furthermore, a food prep/dishwasher may have the duty of maintaining the kitchen's cleanliness and other areas.

We looked at the average kitchen assistant salary and compared it with the wages of a food prep/dishwasher. Generally speaking, food prep/dishwashers are paid $2,509 higher than kitchen assistants per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between kitchen assistants and food prep/dishwashers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like kitchen equipment, cooking equipment, and food service.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, kitchen assistant responsibilities require skills like "wine," "pos," "ladders," and "culinary." Meanwhile a typical food prep/dishwasher has skills in areas such as "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "wash dishes," and "sanitation standards." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Food prep/dishwashers earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $30,657. On the other hand, kitchen assistants are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $29,019.The education levels that food prep/dishwashers earn slightly differ from kitchen assistants. In particular, food prep/dishwashers are 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a kitchen assistant. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Kitchen assistant vs. Line cook/dishwasher

A line cook/dishwasher is primarily in charge of prepping food and maintaining their work station's cleanliness while adhering to health standards and protocols. Among their duties include washing and chopping vegetables, cutting meat according to requirements, preparing sauces, and cooking according to an executive chef's directives. They also participate in cleaning and sterilizing kitchen tools and equipment, monitoring the inventory of ingredients, unloading stock deliveries, and taking care of leftovers. Additionally, as a line cook/dishwasher, it is essential to maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen staff for an efficient workflow.

A career as a line cook/dishwasher brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a kitchen assistant. In fact, line cook/dishwashers salary is $6,980 higher than the salary of kitchen assistants per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both kitchen assistants and line cook/dishwashers have skills such as "kitchen equipment," "culinary," and "cleanliness. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that kitchen assistant responsibilities requires skills like "wine," "pos," "ladders," and "kitchen operations." But a line cook/dishwasher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "food handling," "line cooks," "sanitation standards," and "roasting."

Line cook/dishwashers earn similar levels of education than kitchen assistants in general. They're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Kitchen assistant vs. Prep cook/dishwasher

A prep cook and dishwasher is responsible for cleaning and sanitizing kitchen items and utensils, and performing basic cooking tasks under the supervision of chefs or cooks. It is also their responsibility to prepare ingredients by washing, chopping, weighing, and ensuring that they are the correct quantity and quality. Furthermore, a prep cook and dishwasher may also have to maintain cleanliness in the kitchen, clear tables, monitor inventory of ingredients in storage, coordinate with the kitchen staff, and meet all health standards and policies.

An average prep cook/dishwasher eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of kitchen assistants. The difference in salaries amounts to prep cook/dishwashers earning a $4,232 higher average salary than kitchen assistants.By looking over several kitchen assistants and prep cook/dishwashers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "kitchen equipment," "cooking equipment," and "safety standards." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a kitchen assistant is likely to be skilled in "wine," "pos," "ladders," and "culinary," while a typical prep cook/dishwasher is skilled in "wash dishes," "line cooks," "bus tables," and "sanitation standards."

Prep cook/dishwashers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $30,948. Comparatively, kitchen assistants have the highest earning potential in the construction industry, with an average salary of $29,019.prep cook/dishwashers typically earn similar educational levels compared to kitchen assistants. Specifically, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Kitchen assistant vs. Dish washer

A dishwasher is responsible for keeping and maintaining a kitchen clean by properly washing, sorting, and stacking the kitchen wares, and setting up dish stations. Though the job requires only minimal work experience and a high school diploma, it is said to be a hard one since it involves strong problem-solving and good communication skills, exceptional time management skills, and the ability to work on extended hours. However, since a dishwasher seldom leaves the kitchen area and does not provide direct service to customers, he/she usually get tips directly if service staff share their tips with them.

Dish washers typically earn higher pay than kitchen assistants. On average, dish washers earn a $2,405 higher salary per year.According to resumes from kitchen assistants and dish washers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "wine," "kitchen equipment," and "safety standards. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "pos," "ladders," "culinary," and "kitchen operations" are skills that commonly show up on kitchen assistant resumes. On the other hand, dish washers use skills like food handling, pet, work ethic, and strong work ethic on their resumes.In general, dish washers earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $30,013. The highest-paying industry for a kitchen assistant is the construction industry.The average resume of dish washers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to kitchen assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of kitchen assistant

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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