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Santa Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Brigaid

Santa Maria Brigaid Chef

Santa Maria, CA · On-site

$70K/yr

Santa Maria Program Chef Location: Santa Maria, CA Compensation: $70,400 plus full benefits (inclusive of a paid summer holiday break) We're hiring a chef to support our work in Santa Maria Joint ...

Brigaid

Santa Maria Brigaid Chef

Santa Maria, CA · On-site

$70K/yr

Santa Maria Program Chef Location: Santa Maria, CA Compensation: $70,400 plus full benefits (inclusive of a paid summer holiday break) We're hiring a chef to support our work in Santa Maria Joint ...

Brigaid

Santa Maria Brigaid Chef

Santa Maria, CA · On-site

$70K/yr

Santa Maria Program Chef Location: Santa Maria, CA Compensation: $70,400 plus full benefits (inclusive of a paid summer holiday break) We're hiring a chef to support our work in Santa Maria Joint ...

Greenhouse Church

Santa Fe Coordinator

Gainesville, FL · On-site

Santa Fe Coordinator Classification: Exempt Salary Job Class: Coordinator Reports to: College Associate Director Date Created: May 2026 Supervisory Responsibilities: None Job Summary / Purpose The ...

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Santa information

See salary details

$48

$60

$70

How much do santa jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for santa in the United States is $60.10, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54.09 and $66.11 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Santa?

Santas, also known as Santa Clauses, are individuals who dress up as the legendary figure of Santa Claus during the holiday season. They typically appear at malls, holiday events, parties, and parades to spread cheer, pose for photos, and listen to children's Christmas wishes. The role requires a friendly personality, a jolly demeanor, and often a convincing costume, including a red suit and white beard. Being a Santa is about creating magical experiences and joy for both children and adults.

What does a Santa do?

A professional Santa Claus plays the role of Santa Claus at the mall or Christmas events. Your responsibilities include interacting with children and having pictures taken with guests. Other duties include wearing the red Santa Claus suit, growing a beard (or wearing a fake one), and convincingly emitting jolly laughter. You typically work long hours during the holidays, with some shifts are as long as 12 hours to save children the cognitive dissonance of witnessing two simultaneous St. Nicholas’s. You work with children and may have to answer difficult or tricky questions about religion or divorce. You maintain the comforting fantasy of Santa Claus for children.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a Santa?

To thrive as a Santa, you need strong interpersonal skills, a joyful demeanor, and the ability to engage with children and families, often supported by a background in acting or customer service. Familiarity with scheduling tools, costume care, and sometimes background checks or child safety certifications are typically required. Exceptional patience, improvisational ability, and warmth help Santas create magical experiences and handle a variety of situations. These skills are crucial to ensuring children feel comfortable, maintaining the magic of the season, and delivering memorable interactions.

What challenges do Santas face during the holiday season?

One of the main challenges faced by professional Santas is maintaining high energy and a positive demeanor throughout long shifts, often while engaging with excited children and large crowds. Santas must also be prepared to handle a wide range of emotional interactions, from shy or anxious children to those with special needs. Additionally, the role often requires working in warm, heavy costumes for extended periods and adapting to various event environments, from malls to private parties. Effective communication and improvisational skills are crucial for creating memorable experiences and managing unexpected situations.

What is the difference between Santa vs Elf?

AspectSantaElf
Required CredentialsNone specific, often festive experienceSimilar, often with craft or toy-making skills
Work EnvironmentPublic events, shopping malls, paradesWorkshop, toy factories, holiday events
Industry UsageHoliday entertainment, charity eventsToy manufacturing, holiday decorations
Common Search/ComparisonSantaElf

Santa is primarily known for appearing at public holiday events, spreading cheer, and engaging with children, often without formal credentials. Elves, on the other hand, are typically involved in toy-making and workshop activities, supporting Santa's mission. While both roles are integral to holiday festivities, Santa's role is more about public appearances, whereas elves focus on production and preparation.

More about Santa jobs

What cities are hiring for Santa jobs?

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What are the most commonly searched types of Santa jobs?

The most popular types of Santa jobs are:

What states have the most Santa jobs?

States with the most job openings for Santa jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Santa jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Santa jobs are:

Santa jobs near you
Infographic showing various Santa job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 62% Full Time, and 38% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $124,999 per year, or $60.1 per hour.

Santa Maria Brigaid Chef

Brigaid

Santa Maria, CA • On-site

$70K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 5 days ago

Job description

Job Title: Santa Maria Brigaid Chef
Job Status: Full-time Exempt (with summers off)
Brigaid Supervisor: Santa Maria Program Chef
Location: Santa Maria, CA
Compensation: $70,400 plus full benefits (inclusive of a paid summer holiday break)
We're hiring a chef to support our work in Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD)!
Since 2016, we've been redefining what it means to be a successful chef by partnering with institutional foodservice programs across the US. Our team brings the systems and solutions to help kitchens consistently and confidently prepare high-quality meals. Demand for our services is growing faster than ever. In the past 5 years alone, we've expanded from a team of 5 chefs to a coast-to-coast network of 70 and counting.
About Our Partnership With SMJUHSD:
Located in northern Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) serves more than 9,000 students across three high schools.
The district's foodservice program serves breakfast and lunch daily from three full-service production kitchens. As part of this partnership, the Brigaid Chef will provide hands-on culinary, operational, and training support to advance the district's foodservice goals, including:
  • Supporting the district-wide implementation of at least eight outdoor serving areas with serving carts across all three high school campuses during the initial rollout and continued expansion of the program
  • Providing ongoing training and professional development for foodservice teams in culinary techniques, scratch cooking, food safety, recipe execution, National School Lunch Program (NSLP) compliance, and operational best practices
  • Supporting the implementation and expansion of scratch cooking through standardized recipes, production systems, and staff development
  • Improving the quality, consistency, and presentation of menu offerings
  • Increasing student satisfaction and meal participation by improving meal quality, service, and accessibility through expanded points of service
  • Supporting standardized systems and continuous improvement across all district kitchens

As a Brigaid Chef, you'll work in SMJUHSD through the school year (with summers off), collaborating closely with the Santa Maria Program Chef to support the above goals. A focus of your work will be to implement serving carts in various locations across all campuses, both indoors and outdoors. Although the district will have ultimate authority over the program's strategic direction, you'll be instrumental in driving change.
What the Position Entails:
Your work will depend on the needs of the program. You may be asked to fulfill any of the following responsibilities.
Training
  • Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to implement new systems/protocols (such as kitchen organization, serving line setup, food storage, and HACCP programs).
  • Conduct regular staff training across sites on basic culinary, safety, and operational best practices in accordance with our standards.
  • Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to roll out kitchen signs and tools across sites from our catalog of training materials.
  • Regularly visit sites to assess progress.

Recipes/Menus
  • Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to develop recipes and menus in compliance with the NSLP.
  • Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to develop and implement a plan to roll out new menu items with an eye towards consistency and quality across all sites.
  • Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to plan and execute student tastings for new menu items. Gather staff and student feedback and incorporate it into menu planning as appropriate.

Other
  • Participate in occasional district- or community-wide events, such as career fairs, back-to-school nights, and community meals.
  • Document your progress in a daily journal and discuss with the Santa Maria Program Chef during regular Zoom calls.
  • Participate in meetings with your district's foodservice director and/or other stakeholders.
  • Adhere to all of our protocols and standards as well as those of the district as outlined in our respective employee handbooks.
  • Adhere to all United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health guidelines and regulations.
  • Assist with any other job-related tasks, including, but not limited to, receiving and storing food and supplies, setting up and breaking down kitchens, scaling recipes, preparing, packing and serving food, cleaning kitchens, and doing dishes.

How You'll Be Successful:
  • Model the highest standards for food quality and safety, organization, and professionalism.
  • Demonstrate a genuine passion for institutional foodservice.
  • Remain open to different visions of "good food."
  • Display a strong understanding of (or an ability to learn) NSLP guidelines.
  • Exhibit excellent leadership and teaching abilities.
  • Work effectively and patiently with teammates and colleagues of different professional backgrounds. Be eager to collaborate.
  • Understand how to develop, organize, and drive projects forward while working with multiple stakeholders.
  • Exhibit expert knowledge of foundational cooking techniques as well as an ability to train people of various experience levels on them.
  • Demonstrate basic computer literacy, including Microsoft and Google programs and Zoom.
  • Be flexible in accommodating changes in schedule.
  • Understand how to prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively.

Professional Requirements:
  • At least 3 years of professional cooking experience in a non-institutional setting (High-volume cooking experience is a plus.)
  • ServSafe Manager certified or the ability to take a Brigaid-sponsored 8-hour ServSafe Manager course and pass the exam during your initial training period
  • Successful completion of two to three background checks prior to your start date

Physical Requirements:
  • Ability to travel across sites in an efficient manner (with the possibility of carrying kitchen/culinary equipment during this travel)
  • Ability to lift and carry objects up to 50 pounds
  • Ability to walk around and stand for long periods of time
  • Ability to perform duties outdoors for extended periods in varying weather conditions, including direct sun and heat
  • Proof of a negative skin prick TB test

Why Us:
Our goal is for every team member to feel empowered and excited by their work. We cheer each other on, celebrate big and small wins, and foster professional growth through a comprehensive leadership training series.
We're proud to offer:
  • 100% company-paid health insurance for you and your family - a gold level plan through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield with a platinum level plan buy-up option as well
  • 100% company-paid dental insurance for you and your family through Guardian
  • 100% company-paid vision insurance for you and your family through Guardian
  • 100% company-paid short- and long-term care insurance through Guardian
  • 6 paid vacation days to start
  • Paid summer vacation
  • 15 paid company holidays
  • 6 paid sick days
  • A 401k with a 4% company match and immediate vesting

How to Apply:
Please submit a resume. We'll contact qualified candidates to participate in a first-round, 30-minute Zoom interview. After that, selected candidates will be invited to a 3-hour in-person practical interview in Santa Maria, CA. To be considered, you must be able to attend this in-person interview. A travel stipend of $250 will be offered to each candidate living more than 120 miles away from Santa Maria. Should you live farther than 120 miles from Santa Maria and get offered the position, we will support your relocation to an area commutable to Santa Maria by providing you with a one-time, lump sum $5,000 moving stipend (subject to tax).
Please note: We read every application! However, due to the high volume of applicants, our team is only able to contact qualified candidates. Although we appreciate your excitement, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing or calling us about your application status. Thank you!
We're an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, socio-economic status, marital status, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or creed, disability, political or sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic under state or federal law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities as defined by the ADA to perform the essential functions of the job.

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