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How to hire cooks, private household

A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.

$23.05U.S. median hourly pay
$40,630–$55,450Middle half, yearly
1,100People in this job in the U.S.

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
• Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.
• Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
• Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
• Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
• Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
• Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
• Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Postsecondary nondegree award]
• Strong critical thinking, active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills
• Working knowledge of customer and personal service, food production and sales and marketing
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.05 an hour ($47,940 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Check your finished job post

Interview questions for cooks, private household

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

  1. Tell me about a time you had to cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  2. Tell me about a time you had to direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  3. Tell me about a time you had to keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  4. Tell me about a time you had to peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
  5. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
  6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
  7. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
  8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What cooks, private household do

  • Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
  • Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.
  • Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
  • Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
  • Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
  • Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
  • Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
  • Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.

Skills that matter most

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningMonitoringReading ComprehensionSpeakingCustomer and Personal ServiceFood ProductionSales and Marketing

Education, experience and outlook for cooks, private household

  • Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
  • Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +5.1% over ten years, faster than average · about 5,000 openings a year (BLS)

Related hiring guides

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Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.