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Culinary Assistant Jobs in Manhattan, IL (NOW HIRING)

JJC Enterprises

Culinary Lab Assistant

Joliet, IL · On-site

$15.38 - $17.30/hr

Culinary Lab Assistant POSITION TITLE:Culinary Lab Assistant STATUS:Part time DEPARTMENT: Culinary Arts SUB-DIVISION: Career & Technical Education DIVISION: Academic Affairs CLASSIFICATION: Non ...

Hhs

Culinary Supervisor

Chicago, IL · On-site

$17/hr

Adhere to the facility's health and safety policies and procedures * Assist team members and ... culinary operations, restaurants, supervisor, dietary department, foodservice, hourly manager ...

CSC Generation

Culinary Lead (Sur La Table)

Chicago, IL · On-site

$17.75 - $22.75/hr

Sales & Business Performance • Assist with driving sales growth by implementing strategies to enhance the culinary and retail business. • Analyze key performance metrics daily and leverage ...

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All JobsCulinary JobsCulinary Assistant JobsCulinary Assistant Jobs in Manhattan, IL

Culinary Assistant information

See Manhattan, IL salary details

$9

$19

$35

How much do culinary assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average hourly pay for culinary assistant in Manhattan, IL is $19.80, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.82 and $19.57 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a culinary assistant?

A culinary assistant is responsible for aiding the head chef or kitchen manager in a restaurant or culinary training center for students. In this career, your job duties include ensuring that the kitchen remains clean, assisting with food preparation, and ensuring all cooking equipment is in proper working order. The qualifications for a career as a culinary assistant include a high school diploma and additional training in the culinary arts. This can include formal degrees from culinary schools or vocational training from trade schools. You need strong organizational skills, a passion for food, and excellent attention to detail.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a culinary assistant, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Culinary Assistant, you need a solid understanding of food safety, basic cooking techniques, and kitchen operations, typically supported by a high school diploma or culinary coursework. Familiarity with commercial kitchen equipment, food handling certifications (like ServSafe), and inventory management systems is common. Strong teamwork, time management, and communication skills help Culinary Assistants excel in fast-paced environments. These abilities ensure efficient food preparation, uphold safety standards, and support smooth kitchen operations.

What are some common challenges faced by culinary assistants in a fast-paced kitchen environment?

Culinary Assistants often face the challenge of multitasking under pressure, especially during busy meal services. They need to maintain high standards of food safety and cleanliness while quickly preparing ingredients and supporting chefs. Adapting to sudden changes in menu orders and working efficiently with team members are also frequent demands. Successful Culinary Assistants develop strong organizational skills and the ability to communicate effectively with the kitchen staff to ensure smooth operations.

What is the difference between Culinary Assistant vs Kitchen Helper?

AspectCulinary AssistantKitchen Helper
CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; some roles may require food safety certificationTypically no formal credentials required
Work EnvironmentCommercial kitchens, restaurants, catering servicesFood prep areas, kitchens, cafeterias
Job ResponsibilitiesAssisting chefs, preparing ingredients, following recipesBasic food prep, cleaning, assisting with setup

Both roles support kitchen operations, but Culinary Assistants often have more specialized responsibilities and may require certifications. Kitchen Helpers typically perform basic tasks and support daily kitchen functions. The choice depends on experience and career goals in the culinary industry.

More about Culinary Assistant jobs

What cities near Manhattan, IL are hiring for Culinary Assistant jobs?

Cities near Manhattan, IL with the most Culinary Assistant job openings:

Culinary Assistant jobs near you
Infographic showing various Culinary Assistant job openings in Manhattan, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $41,179 per year, or $19.8 per hour.

Culinary Lab Assistant

JJC Enterprises

Joliet, IL • On-site

$15.38 - $17.30/hr

Part-time

This job post has expired 1 day ago. Applications are no longer accepted.

Job description

Position Title:

Culinary Lab Assistant

Job Description:

POSITION TITLE:Culinary Lab Assistant
STATUS:Part time
DEPARTMENT: Culinary Arts
SUB-DIVISION: Career & Technical Education
DIVISION: Academic Affairs
CLASSIFICATION: Non-exempt
UNION: Non-union
REPORTS TO: Chef Instructor holding lab class on that particular day
PLACEMENT: Support staff, Grade 2
HIRING RANGE: $15.38 - $17.30 hourly
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The student population at the college is diverse in ethnicity, gender, language, age and background. Joliet Junior College is an AA/EO employer and strongly encourages applications from candidates who would enhance the diversity of its staff.

POSITION SUMMARY
Responsible for assisting instructional faculty and students, and provides support in the operation and monitoring of lab processes, equipment and activities in the Culinary Arts Management Program.


ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Meet with instructor to discuss any special needs for that day's lab class.
2. Assist students with menu production and supervise quality of product.
3. Monitor students to ensure they are following proper recipes, cooking procedures, baking practices, and service skills where appropriate.
4. Continually monitor sanitation and safety practices of students.
5. Inform chef instructor of any misconduct, mishandling or a destruction and/or waste of product by students.
6. Monitor all storage and food production areas to ensure that students put products away and store them properly.
7. Assist students with proper professional knife skills, terminology and techniques.
8. Maintain a positive attitude towards students to foster a learning environment.
9. Assist with Chef for a Day visiting students, recruitment efforts and high school/career fair presentations.
10. Fill in as a teacher assistant when needed.
11. Assist with instruction of daily cooking and food production lessons.
12. Assist with supervision of student workers as necessary.
13. Perform final inspection of individual student work area and dismiss students at the end of each class once all food production and classroom food spaces have been cleaned and sanitized.
14. Ensure operation is in good condition for health department inspections of student food production areas.
15. Work with the instructor to inventory all products and prepare orders for all food and non-food supplies needed for each class.
16. Develop and maintain production sheets for each instructor/class.
17. Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. One (1) year of culinary arts lab work completed with a grade of "B" or better.
2. Ability to communicate effectively with students/faculty and foodservice staff.
3. Self-motivated, patient, with common sense and problem-solving ability and a willingness to accept responsibility.
4. Recommendation from chef/lab instructor for position of lab assistant.
5. Must be able to work flexible hours during scheduled lab times.
6. Must possess (or currently in process of earning) a current FSSMC sanitation license for the State of Illinois.
7. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other members of the college and community, displaying cultural competence as well as emotional intelligence.
8. Demonstrated commitment to the college's core values of respect and inclusion, sustainability, integrity, collaboration, humor and well-being, innovation and quality.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. English and Spanish verbal and written communication proficiency.
2. Demonstrated multicultural competence.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
1. Normal culinary lab physical demands.
2. Must complete physical.
3. Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
4. Standard culinary lab equipment.
5. Must be able to stand for extended period of times.

WORKING CONDITIONS
1. Culinary lab environment

BENEFITS

Click Here for benefits; Non-Union Support Staff, Professional, Administrative

Full Time/Part Time:

Part time

Union (If Applicable):

Scheduled Hours:

28

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