What is a kitchen helper and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
introduction image

Kitchen helpers perform various cleaning, maintenance, preparation, and stocking tasks in the kitchen. They are hired in the kitchens of restaurants, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes and prepare ingredients for the cook, including washing, peeling, cutting, and slicing ingredients. Besides that, they assist kitchen staff in unloading food supplies from delivery trucks. Additionally, they wash and dry all dishes, utensils, cooking instruments, and cutting boards. Furthermore, they remove garbage and replace garbage containers. Also, they store ingredients and food items.

Most kitchen helpers hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. They have a minimum of one year of experience in a similar role. They also possess a food handler's license and experience in handling kitchen settings. Their skillset includes time management, organization, attention to detail, communication, and prioritization skills. Additionally, they know about food safety standards and procedures. Kitchen helpers make about $26,095 in a year. Their salary falls between $20,000 and $33,000.

ScoreKitchen HelperUS Average
Salary
2.0

Avg. Salary $25,796

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.8

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.10%

Asian 8.14%

Black or African American 10.15%

Hispanic or Latino 19.60%

Unknown 5.32%

White 55.68%

Gender

female 46.74%

male 53.26%

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 Helper career paths

Key steps to become a kitchen helper

  1. Explore kitchen helper education requirements

    Most common kitchen helper degrees

    High School Diploma

    46.6 %

    Associate

    18.1 %

    Bachelor's

    16.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific kitchen helper skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Food Handling28.69%
    Food Service22.40%
    Wash Dishes9.86%
    Cleanliness9.57%
    Culinary7.79%
  3. Complete relevant kitchen helper training and internships

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

    • Experience on grill, broiler, slicers, fryers etc.
    • Cook food using servsafe guidelines.
    • Use of POS system and cash register.
    • Maintain multiple kitchens while following ServSafe and HACCP.
  5. Prepare your kitchen helper resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your kitchen helper 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 helper 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 Helper Resume templates

    Build a professional Kitchen Helper 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 Helper resume.
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    Kitchen Helper Resume
  6. Apply for kitchen helper jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a kitchen helper 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 Helper Job

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Average kitchen helper salary

The average Kitchen Helper salary in the United States is $25,796 per year or $12 per hour. Kitchen helper salaries range between $20,000 and $32,000 per year.

Average Kitchen Helper Salary
$25,796 Yearly
$12.40 hourly

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How do kitchen helpers rate their job?

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Kitchen Helper reviews

profile
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


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

Not being told what to do. Taking the initiative .


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

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


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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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