Cooks, Private Household

Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 86.9% of cooks, private household are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.

Related careers

• Chefs and Head Cooks
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, All Other
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Restaurant
• Cooks, Short Order

Quick questions

How much does a cooks, private household make?

The median pay is $23.05 per hour — roughly $48,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.35/hr (10th percentile) to $43.81/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a cooks, private household?

The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a cooks, private household actually do all day?

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.