Prep Chef Jobs in Wood River, IL

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 26 Jobs

Banquet Prep Cook

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 22 hours ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 22 hours ago

General responsibilities when working a Cook job assignment can include: Cook food items according to recipes and food production standards Ensure food is safely prepared and at the proper...

Prep Cook - Enterprise Center

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 1 day ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 1 day ago

Levy Sector Position Title: Prep Cook - Enterprise Center Pay Range: $16.58 to $18.42 We Make Applying Easy! Want to apply to this job via text messaging? Text JOB to 75000 and search requisition...

Prep Cook

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 2 days ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 2 days 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...

Prep Cook - Florissant Chili's

  • Florissant, MO (16 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 2 days ago
  • Florissant, MO (16 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 2 days ago

Role Overview Our Heart of House Team Members are responsible for setting the pace for a great shift, every shift. They provide dependable, fast service that is absolutely Chili's. If you take...

Food Prep, Cook, and Pizza Maker - Cast Member

  • Fairview Heights, IL (18 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 3 days ago
  • Fairview Heights, IL (18 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 3 days 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....

Senior Meat Cutter

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 3 days ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 3 days ago

... As a Senior Meat Cutter you will drive sales in your area to deliver to our members more of what they love, for less. You will work collaboratively with other associates to ensure the total...

Meat Cutter and Wrapper

  • Collinsville, IL (13 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 4 days ago
  • Collinsville, IL (13 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 4 days ago

... Why do people love shopping for fresh food at Sams Club? Our members tell us one of the biggest reasons is our hard-working and happy-to-help fresh food associates. Join our meat team and you...

Food Preparation Worker

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 5 days ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 5 days ago

What You’ll Do: As a Food Preparation Worker at Sodexo, you are a pair of helping hands and a good mood motivator....

(USA) Senior Meat Cutter

  • O Fallon, IL (20 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 6 days ago
  • O Fallon, IL (20 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 6 days ago

... As a Senior Meat Cutter you will drive sales in your area to deliver to our members more of what they love, for less. You will work collaboratively with other associates to ensure the total...

(USA) Meat Cutter / Wrapper

  • Florissant, MO (16 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 7 days ago
  • Florissant, MO (16 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 7 days ago

... Why do people love shopping for fresh food at Sams Club? Our members tell us one of the biggest reasons is our hard-working and happy-to-help fresh food associates. Join our meat team and you...

Prep Cook

  • Edwardsville, IL (7 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 17 days ago
  • Edwardsville, IL (7 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 17 days ago

At Texas Roadhouse, we are a people-first company that just happens to serve steaks. Legendary Food and Legendary Service is who we are. We're about loving what you're doing today and preparing...

Prep Cook - Fairview Heights Chili's

  • Fairview Heights, IL (18 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 22 days ago
  • Fairview Heights, IL (18 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 22 days ago

Role Overview Our Heart of House Team Members are responsible for setting the pace for a great shift, every shift. They provide dependable, fast service that is absolutely Chili's. If you take...

Prep Cook

  • Richmond Heights, MO (21 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 24 days ago
  • Richmond Heights, MO (21 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 24 days ago

Job Details Job Title Prep Cook Posted: 5/22/2025 Location MO, St. Louis #2 The Boulevard Saint Louis Richmond Heights, MO 63117 Description IMMEDIATELY HIRING - Prep Cooks Part-Time & Full-Time...

Prep Cook

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 25 days ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 25 days ago

Fresh Ideas Food Service Management is searching for a creative, eager to learn individual to fill a Prep Cook opportunity with their team at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, MO. Our...

Prep Cooks

  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 25 days ago
  • Saint Louis, MO (17 miles from Wood River, IL)
  • 25 days ago

Fresh Ideas Food Service Management is searching for a creative, eager to learn individual to fill a Prep Cook opportunity with their team at Maryville University in Saint Louis, MO. Our promise...

Demographic Data for Wood River, IL

Moving to Wood River, IL? Find some basic demographic data about Wood River, IL below.


Local
National
11,060
240
Medium/Sm

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...
Cooking (Chef) Course
Description : To become a professional chef, one needs to have dedication, attention to detail and a love for food. These traits put together either makes or breaks up and coming chefs as working...
Master Chef Series -Petite Gateau - Chef Kean
Chef Kean 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 Wood River, IL

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 Wood River, IL 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 Wood River, IL
Less than 1 year
40.5%
2-4 years
26.0%
1-2 years
22.8%
None
9.8%
8-10 years
0.9%



Prep Chef Related Career Advice Articles

How to become a chef
How to Become a Chef

Thinking of launching a career as a chef? This guide will tell you everything you need to know – from how long it takes to become a chef to how to get a job as a chef (and more).

Read article »
Closeup of sustainably sourced ingredients
What Makes a Restaurant Sustainable?

In terms of restaurant management, sustainability is more than just a buzzword or an offshoot of the “farm-to-table” craze.

Read article »
Culinary student training to become a chef and learning knife skills in the kitchen
Training to Be a Chef

If you are interested in becoming a chef and are looking for basic information on how to make that dream a reality, read our companion article “How to Become a Chef.” However, if you have already given the idea much thought and simply need a few facts regarding prices, prestige, and programs offered by some of the top culinary schools in the US, you have come to the right place.

Read article »