10 of the Most Popular Types of Cooking Assistant Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Cooking Assistant jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Cooking Assistant Jobs

• Cook

  Salary range: $28,000 - $37,500

  A Cook—also called a Chef—is ultimately responsible for preparing the food that is served in restaurants or other dining establishments. As the head of the kitchen, Cooks also supervise other work and oversee the kitchen to ensure it all runs smoothly. In some restaurants, Cooks are responsible for creating recipes and menus, planning events, ensuring that food and kitchen regulations are followed, and sticking to a restaurant budget. There are different levels of this position that you can earn, meaning that there can be a wide range to all the potential possibilities and responsibilities of a daily Cook. For example, there’s the Head Chef who runs the kitchen while the other Cooks are responsible for specific types of food.

• Entry Level Cook

  Salary range: $28,000 - $37,500

  Entry Level Cook is a common job search query. Most salaries for Entry Level Cook jobs pay between $28,000 (25th percentile) and $37,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Entry Level Cook job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• No Experience Cook

  Salary range: $28,000 - $37,500

  No Experience Cook is a typical job search query Most salaries for No Experience Cook jobs pay between $28,000 (25th percentile) and $37,500 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for No Experience Cook job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Google Kitchen

  Salary range: $28,000 - $34,500

  Google Kitchen is a typical job search query Most salaries for Google Kitchen jobs pay between $28,000 (25th percentile) and $34,500 (75th percentile) annually. There are plenty of open positions nationwide for Google Kitchen job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Ayudante Cocina

  Salary range: $29,000 - $33,500

  Ayudante Cocina is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Ayudante Cocina jobs pay between $29,000 (25th percentile) and $33,500 (75th percentile) annually. There are plenty of open positions nationwide for Ayudante Cocina job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Kitchen Assistant No Experience

  Salary range: $28,000 - $34,500

  Kitchen Assistant No Experience is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Kitchen Assistant No Experience jobs pay between $28,000 (25th percentile) and $34,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Kitchen Assistant No Experience job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Prep Cook

  Salary range: $28,500 - $36,000

  A prep cook works in a restaurant or private kitchen, preparing ingredients for other chefs to cook. As a prep cook, your responsibilities center on simplifying the cooking process for everyone in the kitchen. Your duties include cleaning, peeling, chopping, cutting, slicing, and dicing vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, and other food. You are also responsible for maintaining health and safety standards in the kitchen, which is a responsibility of everyone on the staff. You need excellent knife skills to safely and quickly prepare food, and you need communication skills to follow instructions and collaborate with your coworkers. Experience working in a kitchen is helpful when you look for jobs as a prep cook, but a prep cook can sometimes be considered to be an entry-level position.

• Test Kitchen

  Salary range: $42,000 - $59,500

  Test kitchen jobs focus on the preparation and use of ingredients, particularly when trying to create a new recipe for others to follow. These positions typically involve a significant amount of culinary expertise, and you may be asked to taste and cook a wide variety of new or unfamiliar foods. Many test kitchen jobs have additional requirements based on the needs of the company. For example, test kitchens for chain restaurants need to set up a supply chain for every ingredient, so there may be limits on the types of ingredients available. Other restaurants may work with less skilled chefs, so the recipes must be written to accommodate these skill levels. Balancing the creation of good food with operational limitations is one of the most important aspects of a test kitchen job.

• Private Chef

  Salary range: $52,500 - $120,000

  A private chef prepares meals for clients, usually in the client’s home kitchen. In addition to meal prep, a private chef cooks food and may plate the food as well. A private chef typically only works for one client, while a personal chef may take on many clients, according to the American Personal and Private Chef Association (APPCA). The type of food that a private chef cooks depends on the dietary needs and preferences of the client.

• Kitchen Helper

  Salary range: $29,000 - $33,500

  As a kitchen helper, you perform a variety of duties in a restaurant, cafe, or large commercial kitchen. You use food service skills to assist chefs, wait staff, and restaurant managers with a variety of tasks to keep the kitchen functioning smoothly and safely. Although there are no formal qualifications required for this career, you typically have some form of previous restaurant work experience, such as dishwashing or bussing tables. You do not interact directly with customers, although your job may be near customer areas. Kitchen helpers must be detail oriented and capable of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment.