Quick answer
To hire a cook, choose your city below, review local pay and employer rules, then post a free request on AvailJob to reach vetted cooks. Most families fill the role in 1–3 weeks.
What does a cook do?
- Menu planning: builds weekly menus around the family’s tastes, allergies, religious or cultural requirements and nutrition goals.
- Grocery shopping: sources fresh produce, meat and pantry items within an agreed household budget and keeps receipts.
- Daily meal preparation: cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner, or a set number of meals, and serves them at agreed times.
- Special diets: prepares vegetarian, halal, kosher, gluten-free, diabetic or low-sodium dishes when required.
- Batch cooking: prepares and labels meals in advance for busy weeks, school lunches or weekends off.
- Entertaining: cooks for dinner parties, holidays and family gatherings, sometimes with extra help.
- Kitchen hygiene: keeps the kitchen, fridge and pantry clean, organised and food-safe.
- Inventory control: tracks stock, rotates food to reduce waste and flags equipment that needs repair.
Typical cook pay by country
| Country | Typical pay |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | $20–$35 per hour |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | C$23–C$40 per hour |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | £13–£23 per hour |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | €14–€25 per hour |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | A$29–A$51 per hour |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | AED 2,500–AED 6,000 per month |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | CHF 27–CHF 47 per hour |
Indicative national ranges — each city page adjusts them for local salary levels.
Find cooks by location
🇺🇸 Cooks in United States
Cooks in California (CA)
Hire a Cook in Anaheim, CAHire a Cook in Bakersfield, CAHire a Cook in Fremont, CAHire a Cook in Fresno, CAHire a Cook in Irvine, CAHire a Cook in Long Beach, CAHire a Cook in Los Angeles, CAHire a Cook in Mountain View, CAHire a Cook in Oakland, CAHire a Cook in Palo Alto, CAHire a Cook in Sacramento, CAHire a Cook in San Diego, CAHire a Cook in San Francisco, CAHire a Cook in San Jose, CAHire a Cook in Santa Clara, CAHire a Cook in Silicon Valley, CAHire a Cook in Sunnyvale, CA
Cooks in Florida (FL)
Hire a Cook in Boca Raton, FLHire a Cook in Cape Coral, FLHire a Cook in Clearwater, FLHire a Cook in Fort Lauderdale, FLHire a Cook in Gainesville, FLHire a Cook in Hialeah, FLHire a Cook in Hollywood, FLHire a Cook in Jacksonville, FLHire a Cook in Miami Beach, FLHire a Cook in Miami, FLHire a Cook in Orlando, FLHire a Cook in Pembroke Pines, FLHire a Cook in St. Petersburg, FLHire a Cook in Tallahassee, FLHire a Cook in Tampa, FLHire a Cook in West Palm Beach, FL
Cooks in Texas (TX)
Hire a Cook in Abilene, TXHire a Cook in Amarillo, TXHire a Cook in Arlington, TXHire a Cook in Austin, TXHire a Cook in Brownsville, TXHire a Cook in Carrollton, TXHire a Cook in Corpus Christi, TXHire a Cook in Dallas, TXHire a Cook in Denton, TXHire a Cook in El Paso, TXHire a Cook in Fort Worth, TXHire a Cook in Frisco, TXHire a Cook in Garland, TXHire a Cook in Grand Prairie, TXHire a Cook in Houston, TXHire a Cook in Irving, TXHire a Cook in Killeen, TXHire a Cook in Laredo, TXHire a Cook in Lubbock, TXHire a Cook in McAllen, TXHire a Cook in McKinney, TXHire a Cook in Mesquite, TXHire a Cook in Midland, TXHire a Cook in Pasadena, TXHire a Cook in Plano, TXHire a Cook in Round Rock, TXHire a Cook in San Antonio, TXHire a Cook in Sugar Land, TXHire a Cook in Waco, TX
🇬🇧 Cooks in United Kingdom
Cooks in England (ENG)
Hire a Cook in Birmingham, ENGHire a Cook in Brighton, ENGHire a Cook in Bristol, ENGHire a Cook in Cambridge, ENGHire a Cook in Leeds, ENGHire a Cook in Leicester, ENGHire a Cook in Liverpool, ENGHire a Cook in London, ENGHire a Cook in Manchester, ENGHire a Cook in Milton Keynes, ENGHire a Cook in Newcastle, ENGHire a Cook in Nottingham, ENGHire a Cook in Oxford, ENGHire a Cook in Reading, ENGHire a Cook in Sheffield, ENGHire a Cook in Southampton, ENG