Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant
A program that prepares individuals to serve under the supervision of chefs and other food service professionals as kitchen support staff and commercial food preparation workers. Includes instruction in kitchen organization and operations, sanitation and quality control, basic food preparation and cooking skills, kitchen and kitchen equipment maintenance, and quantity food measurement and monitoring.
- Schools offering
- 6
- Annual completions
- 45
- Typical degree level
- Associate's
- Median earnings (5yr)
- $40k
About this major
A program that prepares individuals to serve under the supervision of chefs and other food service professionals as kitchen support staff and commercial food preparation workers. Includes instruction in kitchen organization and operations, sanitation and quality control, basic food preparation and cooking skills, kitchen and kitchen equipment maintenance, and quantity food measurement and monitoring.
Where this major leads
Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.
| Occupation | Median wage | Job growth | Typical education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | $36k | +2.0% | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, private household | $45k | +5.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Cooks, all other | $36k | +5.5% | No formal educational credential |
Earnings at a glance
Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.
Median 5-year earnings
$40k
Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings
Associate's
$39k
Bachelor's
$48k
Top colleges for Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant
Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.
| College | Location | Assoc. | Bach. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder | Boulder, CO | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Grayson College | Denison, TX | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College | Kansas City, KS | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Online | Providence, RI | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Washburn University | Topeka, KS | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monroe County Community College | Monroe, MI | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Related majors to explore
Culinary Arts/Chef Training
4,721 completions/yr
Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
2,104 completions/yr
Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
868 completions/yr
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
595 completions/yr
Culinary Science/Culinology
108 completions/yr
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other
74 completions/yr
Institutional Food Workers
31 completions/yr
Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter
5 completions/yr