In this article
Welcome to the world of hospitality & cooking
Whether you dream of becoming a chef, or you want an accessible, hands-on entry into professional cooking, this guide covers what a commis chef actually does, the skills, the day-to-day, and the honest upsides and downsides.
General description
A commis chef is a junior chef who preps, cooks, and learns under the kitchen team. In simple terms: they learn the craft of cooking from the ground up. Think of them as the first rung of the kitchen.
- Prepare ingredients and dishes
- Support the kitchen team
- Learn cooking techniques
- Keep the station clean and ready
Key skills & qualifications
Hard skills
Soft skills
- Passion — cooking is the calling
- Stamina — kitchens are demanding
- Speed — service is fast
- Willingness to learn — you start at the bottom
- Teamwork — the kitchen is a team
- Resilience — kitchens are tough
Education & qualifications
No degree required — commis chefs train through catering college or apprenticeships, or learn on the job, making it an accessible entry into cooking.
Typical responsibilities
- Prep — ingredients and mise en place
- Cooking — supporting dishes
- Learning — techniques and craft
- Station — clean and ready
- Support — the kitchen team
- Hygiene — food safety
Responsibilities by seniority
Commis Chef
0–2 years
- Preps and supports
- Learns the basics
- Builds speed
- Developing the craft
- Toward chef de partie
Chef de Partie
2–5 years
- Runs a section
- Cooks the dishes
- Builds expertise
- Trusted chef
- Toward sous chef
Sous / Head Chef
5+ years
- Leads the kitchen
- Creates dishes
- Manages the team
- Mentors juniors
- Top of the kitchen
Where commis chefs work
🍽️ Restaurants
All kinds of dining.
🏨 Hotels
Hotel kitchens.
⭐ Fine dining
High-end kitchens.
🍺 Gastropubs
Pub kitchens.
🎉 Events / catering
Event cooking.
🚀 Cruise / travel
Travelling kitchens.
A day in the life
Starting prep — chopping, preparing, and getting the station ready for service.
Learning a technique from a senior chef, building the craft from the ground up.
Service — fast, hot, and intense, supporting the team to get dishes out.
Cleaning down and prepping for evening service, the relentless rhythm of the kitchen.
Prepped, cooked, learned. The first rung of the kitchen. That's the job.
What this job gives you
- Accessible entry to cooking
- Hands-on and creative
- Clear path to chef
- No degree needed
- Learn a real craft
Pros & cons
✅ Advantages
- Accessible entry to cooking
- Hands-on and creative
- Clear path to chef
- No degree needed
- Learn a real craft
- Always in demand
- Work anywhere in the world
❌ Disadvantages
- Long, antisocial hours
- Hot, intense, high-pressure
- Modest pay early on
- Physically demanding
- Tough kitchen culture
- On your feet all shift
Salary potential — global rating
Rated against all professions globally, where ★★★★★★★★★★ = top 1% earners:
Career growth paths
- Chef de Partie — run a section
- Sous Chef — second in command
- Head Chef — lead the kitchen
- Specialist (pastry, etc.) — specialise
- Restaurant owner — own a restaurant
- Private / consultancy — private chef roles
Commis Chef vs related roles
Here's how some neighbouring roles compare.
| Role | Core focus | Note | Pay | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commis Chef You are here | Junior chef learning the craft | Cooking, prep | Baseline | Accessible |
| Chef | Cooks and runs the kitchen | Cooking, leadership | Higher | Accessible |
| Waiter | Serves food and drink | Service, hospitality | Lower-similar | Accessible |
| Hotel Manager | Runs a hotel | Hospitality leadership | Higher | Medium |
| Baker | Bakes bread and pastries | Baking, craft | Similar | Accessible |
Scroll the table sideways on mobile. Pay comparisons are directional and vary by market and seniority.
Future outlook
The hospitality industry always needs chefs, keeping commis chef a reliable, in-demand entry into a career that can lead all the way to head chef and beyond.
- Hospitality always needs chefs
- Cooking is a lasting craft
- It's an accessible entry
- Chefs can work anywhere
- In-demand, reliable path
Fun facts 🤓
Almost every head chef started as a commis chef.
Cooking skills let you work anywhere in the world.
It's an accessible entry — college, apprenticeship, or on the job.
The kitchen is intense, but it's where the craft is learned.
It's the first step on a clear path to head chef.
Myths about this role
"It's just chopping vegetables."
❌ It's learning the whole craft of cooking from the ground up.
"Anyone can do it."
❌ Surviving and learning in a professional kitchen is tough.
"It's a dead-end job."
❌ It's the first step to chef de partie, sous, and head chef.
"It's glamorous like on TV."
❌ It's long, hot, hard hours — the reality is demanding.
"It pays well to start."
❌ Pay is modest early on; it rises as you move up.
Is this job right for you?
✅ Good fit if you...
- Dream of becoming a chef
- Are passionate about food
- Can handle pressure and pace
- Don't mind long hours
- Want a hands-on craft
- Are resilient
❌ Maybe not for you if...
- You want a 9–5
- You can't handle pressure
- You dislike physical work
- You want high pay immediately
- You dislike intense environments
- You want a desk job
Accessible & hands-on
Commis chef is an accessible, hands-on entry into professional cooking, where hard work and passion launch a culinary career, with a clear path from the first rung all the way to head chef.
✅ Advantages
- Accessible entry to cooking
- Hands-on and creative
- Clear path to chef
- No degree needed
- Learn a real craft
❌ Challenges
- Long, antisocial hours
- Hot, intense, high-pressure
- Modest pay early on
- Physically demanding
- On your feet all shift
How to get started
- Get into a kitchen college, apprenticeship, or on the job.
- Learn the basics prep, knife skills, and hygiene.
- Build speed and craft support the team through service.
- Move up to chef de partie run your own section.
- Advance sous chef, head chef, or your own kitchen.
What to know before you start
- It's learning the whole craft, not just chopping
- Professional kitchens are tough and intense
- No degree needed — it's an accessible entry
- Cooking skills work anywhere in the world
- Almost every head chef started here
- It leads all the way to head chef
From the field
The same lessons come up again and again from people actually doing the job:
People think a commis chef just chops vegetables. You're learning the entire craft of cooking from the ground up — techniques, timing, the rhythm of a kitchen — by doing it under pressure every service. It's the foundation everything else is built on.
Commis chef · 2 years in
It's nothing like the glamour on TV. It's long, hot, antisocial hours, intense pressure, and you start at the bottom on modest pay. But if you're passionate about food, there's nowhere else you'd rather be — the kitchen gets in your blood.
Chef de partie · 4 years in
Almost every head chef I know started exactly where I did, as a commis. It's a clear path — commis, chef de partie, sous, head chef — and cooking skills let you work anywhere in the world. It's hard, but it's a real, lasting craft.
Head chef · 12 years in