Cook
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Prepares and cooks food to order in a kitchen, canteen, hotel or catering operation. Progress is through sections and volume rather than through qualifications.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: ITI. Also entered at: ITI, Certificate. Direct entry. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹11,000 – ₹20,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Catering companies, Cruise lines, Hotels and restaurants, Corporate and institutional canteens
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. ITI level.
Other levels people enter from. ITI, Certificate.
Where people work
Outlook
Catering companies, Cruise lines, Hotels and restaurants, Corporate and institutional canteens.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
11,000 - 20,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 8 or Class 10 Required
Open entry. Cook is the general trade role, distinct from the hotel brigade ladder.
ITI in Food Production, or a short cookery certificate Required
One year for the ITI trade, less for a certificate. Both cover hygiene, basic techniques and quantity cooking.
Work in a kitchen Required
Restaurants, canteens, institutional catering, hostels or messes. Institutional cooking teaches volume and consistency, which is a genuine and portable skill.
Build a cuisine specialism Required
North Indian, South Indian, Chinese, tandoor or continental. Cooks are hired by cuisine, and depth in one is worth more than a little of each.
Move to a better kitchen, or take contract work Required
Hotels, corporate catering, or overseas contracts. Indian cooks are in demand in the Gulf, and the pay difference is substantial.
Head cook, or cook independently Optional
Running a kitchen, or your own tiffin service, cloud kitchen or catering operation.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹11,000 – ₹20,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Cook?
The earliest entry point is iti level. People also enter from: ITI, Certificate.
Where does a Cook usually work?
Catering companies, Cruise lines, Hotels and restaurants, Corporate and institutional canteens.
What does a Cook earn to start?
11,000 - 20,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.