Chef job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$62,470

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Chefs and Head Cooks (O*NET-SOC 35-1011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Check the quantity and quality of received products. importance 4.3 of 5
7. Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Coordinate planning, budgeting, or purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel. importance 3.9 of 5
12. Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays. importance 3.8 of 5
13. Prepare and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions. importance 3.8 of 5
14. Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services. importance 3.8 of 5
15. Meet with customers to discuss menus for special occasions, such as weddings, parties, or banquets. importance 3.6 of 5
16. Recruit and hire staff, such as cooks and other kitchen workers. importance 3.6 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Training and Teaching Others, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, Developing and Building Teams, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work and Getting Information.

Knowledge areas: Food Production, Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service, Personnel and Human Resources and Administration and Management.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Facebook, Google Sheets, Microsoft PowerPoint. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a chef.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (54%) name an associate's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Chef
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Chef to direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
- Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
- Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
- Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
- Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Check the quantity and quality of received products.
- Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
- Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in coordination, monitoring and social perceptiveness
- Working knowledge of Food Production and Production and Processing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $62,470 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $30.03. BLS estimates about 200,040 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Chefs and Head Cooks to grow 6.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 25,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full chef salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real chef posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only chef work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (coordination and monitoring); chef interview questions turns them into practice questions.