Job Duties

• Prep cooks wash, peel and slice or chop vegetables, and slice, grind and prepare meat or poultry for cooking. They make vegetable salads and fruit salads. Prep cooks weigh and measure ingredients so the chef can begin cooking without doing these tasks. Prep cooks also monitor the temperatures of ovens and other cooking areas, and stir and strain soups and sauces. In addition, they help keep the kitchen clean.
  
  

Salary by Experience

• Food preparation workers, including prep cooks, typically learn their skills on the job. Individuals interested in a career in food service should complete their high school diploma or obtain an equivalent for better job opportunities. The average pay for food prep workers as of May 2009 was about $9.80 per hour, or $20,400 per year. Those in the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale were making $8 to $11 per hour, and the top 10 percent averaged $13.60 and over.
  
  

Types of Employment

• Most prep cooks are employed in full-service restaurants, where the average pay is about $9.60 per hour, or $19,900 per year, and in limited-service restaurants, with average pay of $8.70 per hour, or $18,100 per year. They also work in nursing homes, making $10 per hour on average, in grocery stores at $10.50, and in school settings at $11 to $12 per hour.
  
  

Employment Features

• In 2008, about one-third of food preparation workers were 16 to 24 years old, according to a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. High turnover in this field leads to good job opportunities. In addition, people are eating out and picking up take-out meals more often, creating a need for more food prep staff.