Prep Chef Jobs in California

A Prep Chef, also known as a preparation cook, is an integral part of the culinary industry responsible for preparing ingredients for the main cooks or chefs in a kitchen. Their tasks include washing, peeling, cutting, and chopping fruits, vegetables, and other food items, as well as cooking and preparing simple dishes. They also play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness and order in the kitchen, storing food appropriately, and ensuring the availability of fresh ingredients. Prep Chefs often work under the supervision of a head chef or cooks, thus they need to have a keen eye for detail, excellent time management skills, and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.

To qualify as a Prep Chef, a certificate or an associate's degree in culinary arts or a related field is usually required. However, critical skills such as culinary expertise, knife skills, understanding of food safety standards, and a strong familiarity with various cooking techniques are essential. In addition, they should also have good physical stamina to manage long hours of standing and handling kitchen equipment. Prior to progressing to the position of a Prep Chef, a person may start their culinary journey in roles such as a dishwasher, line cook or a kitchen assistant.

1-15 of 282 Jobs

Reunion Kitchen Estamos Contratando COOKS PREP DISH $19+

  • Anaheim, CA
  • moments ago
  • Anaheim, CA
  • moments ago

Estamos contratando Cocineros, Preps y lavaplatos Aplicar en o en el restaurante Reunion Kitchen Anaheim Hills Reunion Kitchen + Drink fue disenado de punta a punta para ser el restaurante ideal...

Meat Cutter-FT

  • Ontario, CA
  • 1 hour ago
  • Ontario, CA
  • 1 hour ago

Requisition ID: 190134 Career Group: Store Careers Job Category: Retail - Meat Travel Requirements: 0 - 10% Job Type: Full-Time Pay Rate: $19.50 - $25.50 Country: Canada (CA) Province: Ontario...

Meat Cutter

  • San Jose, CA
  • 6 hours ago
  • San Jose, CA
  • 6 hours ago

Id : 562212, Title : Meat Cutter, Category : Retail, Store Ops, RequisitionType : High Volume - Retail, JobGrade : null, RequisitionId : ...496, ExternalPostedStartDate : 2025-06-11T17:23:06...

Prep Cook (Full Time)

  • Long Beach, CA
  • 6 hours ago
  • Long Beach, CA
  • 6 hours ago

Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations....

Meat Cutter- Santa Barbara

  • Santa Barbara, CA
  • 6 hours ago
  • Santa Barbara, CA
  • 6 hours ago

Welcome to Gelson's! For over 70 years, Gelson's has served Southern California shoppers with an enthusiasm for food of the highest quality. Our commitment to quality, selection and exceptional...

Prep Cook

  • Beverly Hills, CA
  • 6 hours ago
  • Beverly Hills, CA
  • 6 hours ago

We are a lifestyle brand! If you are looking to join an awesome team, have a positive working environment and live a healthy and active lifestyle, we offer an exciting opportunity to join a...

Meat Cutter

  • Pittsburg, CA
  • 10 hours ago
  • Pittsburg, CA
  • 10 hours ago

At Cardenas Markets, how we work is defined by shared values that include absolute integrity, respect, and collaboration. However, it's more than that; it's smart and highly driven people united...

Part Time Culinary Aide (PM)

  • Torrance, CA
  • 10 hours ago
  • Torrance, CA
  • 10 hours ago

Part Time Culinary Aide (PM) Description Be part of a renowned team at Silverado, a Fortune Magazine Best Workplace in Aging Services, where exceptional care meets exceptional careers! For 27...

Prep Cook

  • Arcadia, CA
  • 11 hours ago
  • Arcadia, CA
  • 11 hours ago

Your Background: Great technique: you have strong knife skills Kitchen savvy: you know your weights, measurements and volumes Attention to detail: you follow all steps and techniques to ensure consistency...

Dessert Finisher/Barista

  • Oxnard, CA
  • 11 hours ago
  • Oxnard, CA
  • 11 hours ago

Compensation Range $16.50 - $17.75 / Hour Overview: Why Join Our Team: Great earnings potential Full and part-time hours available Flexible scheduling to fit your life Medical coverage starting at...

Prep Cook

  • San Francisco, CA
  • 1 day ago
  • San Francisco, CA
  • 1 day ago

Back to Back is a small, neighborhood restaurant located in Nob Hill, San Francisco, specializing in wood-fired pizza, shared plates, natural wine, and music on vinyl. We have a close-knit team...

Dishwasher/ Prep Cook Tips

  • Huntington Beach, CA
  • 1 day ago
  • Huntington Beach, CA
  • 1 day ago

Dishwasher/ Prep Cook Tips (North Orange County) 8961 Adams Avenue near Magnolia compensation: DOE + Tips employment type: job title: Dishwasher/ prep cook Established restaurant looking for...

Food Prep, Cook, and Pizza Maker - Cast Member

  • Santa Clarita, CA
  • 1 day ago
  • Santa Clarita, CA
  • 1 day ago

Easy prep for pizza, salads, and wings. Pay and Benefits: Chuck E. Cheese now offers access to earned wages with our NEW "Work Today, Get Paid Tomorrow" program....

Prep Cook - Kendalls at The Music Center

  • Los Angeles, CA
  • 1 day ago
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • 1 day ago

. + Completes orders from steam tables and grill and serves customers at multiple stations. + Uses approved food recipes and production standards to ensure proper quality, serving temperatures and standard...

Meat Cutter (River St)

  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 1 day ago
  • Santa Cruz, CA
  • 1 day ago

Knowledge of retail Meat and Seafood departments preferred, however butcher shop or meat fabrication industry experience acceptable. Prior meat cutting / fabrication experience required....

Demographic Data for California

Moving to California? Find some basic demographic data about California below.


Local
National
39,536,271
996,598

Prep Chef Online Courses and Training Opportunities

iHireChefs curates thousands of courses in order to recommend the best ones to help further your career. If you register for a course using the links on our site, we may receive a small commission.
Travel Cake Master chef series Chef lim by APCA chef online
Travel cakes Master chef series by chef Lim, our in-house executive Pastry are something which does not need too much or a storage and great stuff for picnic and partiesThis program will cover 8...
Chef Software Learning Path: Master Chef Automation
Introduction:In today's rapidly evolving IT landscape, automation is key to efficient infrastructure management. Chef, a powerful configuration management tool, empowers DevOps engineers and IT...
Master Chef Series - Tart & Torte - Chef Lim
Chef Lim is an award winning In house Executive Pastry chef in APCA Malaysia who have curated this program for APCA chef online. this Program covers some advance level of Entremets or french...

Salary for Prep Chef Jobs in California

Estimated salary range based on data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and iHireChefs research efforts.

Licensing / Certification

Required or preferred licenses and certifications for Prep Chef positions.



Highest Education Level

Prep Chefs in California offer the following education background
High School or GED
33.3%
Associate's Degree
24.6%
Vocational Degree or Certification
17.5%
Bachelor's Degree
16.9%
Some College
3.1%
Master's Degree
2.3%
Some High School
1.8%
Doctorate Degree
0.4%

Average Work Experience
Here's a breakdown of the number of years' experience offered by Prep Chefs in California
Less than 1 year
40.5%
2-4 years
26.0%
1-2 years
22.8%
None
9.8%
8-10 years
0.9%



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