What is a kitchen hand and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a kitchen hand. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.11 an hour? That's $29,339 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 17,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreKitchen HandUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,339

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.8

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.14%

Asian 11.49%

Black or African American 10.11%

Hispanic or Latino 17.63%

Unknown 5.42%

White 54.22%

Gender

female 32.09%

male 67.91%

Age - 34
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 - 34
Stress Level
4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.2

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.6

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Kitchen Hand career paths

Key steps to become a kitchen hand

  1. Explore kitchen hand education requirements

    Most common kitchen hand degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.8 %

    High School Diploma

    34.0 %

    Associate

    13.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific kitchen hand skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Dishes62.99%
    Customer Service17.71%
    Food Preparation4.19%
    Kitchen Equipment3.98%
    Customer Orders3.82%
  3. Complete relevant kitchen hand training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New kitchen hands 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 kitchen hand based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real kitchen hand resumes.
  4. Research kitchen hand duties and responsibilities

    • Assist the catering manager to manage, prepare, cook and deliver each day s caterings.
    • Mix water with detergents and acids to prepare cleaning solutions according to specifications, general cleanliness according to safety and company guidelines
    • Create pizzas for customers as listed or request and run a large pizza oven.
  5. Prepare your kitchen hand resume

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

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Kitchen Hand Resume templates

    Build a professional Kitchen Hand 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 Kitchen Hand resume.
    Kitchen Hand Resume
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    Kitchen Hand Resume
    Kitchen Hand Resume
    Kitchen Hand Resume
  6. Apply for kitchen hand jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a kitchen hand job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

How Did You Land Your First Kitchen Hand Job

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Are you a Kitchen Hand?

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Average kitchen hand salary

The average Kitchen Hand salary in the United States is $29,339 per year or $14 per hour. Kitchen hand salaries range between $22,000 and $37,000 per year.

Average Kitchen Hand Salary
$29,339 Yearly
$14.11 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do kitchen hands rate their job?

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Kitchen Hand reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2021
Pros

I like to cut, clean and packing fishes

Cons

I don't like to work in too much cold, normal cold is okay


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros

I would like to prepare food &cutting .I have to learn more about the food preparation and I may able to catch it from the chef who are experienced.

Cons

My aim is to be a Chef.Because I am a Bsc Hotel Management graduate ,so wood like to prepare the food .I don't like to dishwasher


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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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