Cooks, Private Household

What the job really is

Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.

At a glance

• Sector: Food Preparation & Serving
• O*NET-SOC code: 35-2013
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
• Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
• Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
• Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
• Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
• Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
• Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.
• Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.
• Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.
• Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.
• Create and explore new cuisines.
• Serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests.

Tools and technology

Intuit QuickBooks, WordPress, APPCA Personal Chef Office, Bakers' knives, Basting brushes, Bench scrapers, Boning knives, Bread knives, Butchers' gloves, Carving forks, Colanders, Computer laser printers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Cooks, Restaurant
• Chefs and Head Cooks
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Food Preparation Workers
• Cooks, Short Order
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Bakers
• Food Service Managers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Cooks, Private Household — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.