Food Service

Career Ladder

Learn About The Food Service Career Path

Advance your skills and learn what it takes to move up the Food Service Career Ladder!

Each career level contains information about hourly wages, job descriptions, main job duties, examples of job titles, general skills, and links to educational courses and training opportunities. Select one of the levels to learn more.

To explore other career ladders, please visit our Career Ladders page. If you have further questions about local labour market information, email helpdesk@wdb.ca or visit wdb.ca.

* Many other career paths branch out from apprenticeship within the food service industry.

Entrepreneur / Business Owner

MEDIAN HOURLY WAGE
Varies

Supervisors, Food & Beverage Processing

$31.46

Restaurant & Food Service Managers

$25.44

Chefs

$22.00

Cooks

$18.00

Food Counter Attendants & Kitchen Helpers

$17.20

Apprenticeships can lead to careers in food service. It is also possible to enter this career path directly.

Apprenticeship*

$22.00

*median hourly wage as of October 1, 2024

Apprenticeship

Hourly
Wages

Low
$17.20

Median
$22.00

High
$25.00

What is Apprenticeship?

A pathway to a rewarding career in the trades that require a high level of skill, judgement and creativity
A combination of on-the-job training & in-school learning
An opportunity to earn an hourly wage while learning from experienced workers
A 2-5 year process wherein apprentices work for a year, then switch to studying in class for 8-12 weeks
144 trades in Ontario that support mechanical, electrical, automotive, manufacturing, building and service industries

Skills

Technical Skills
Judgement
Creativity

Examples of Trades with Apprenticeships

Cook
Baker
Chef
Meat Cutter



Education & Training Resources

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Apprenticeship in Ontario

SKILLED TRADES ONTARIO

Starting an Apprenticeship

FLEMING COLLEGE

Apprenticeship Programs

ONTARIO YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Why Apprenticeship?

SUPPORT ONTARIO YOUTH

Is an Apprenticeship Right for You?

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Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

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Cooks

Hourly
Wages

Low
$17.20

Median
$18.00

High
$20.03

Main Job Duties

Prepare and cook full meals or individual dishes of food
Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment
Oversee kitchen operations
May plan menus, determine size of food portions, estimate food requirements and costs, and monitor and order supplies

Skills

Attention to Detail
Communication Skills
Food Safety Organization
Time Management

Job Title Examples

Line Cook
Short Order Cook
Dietary Cook



Education & Training Resources

Trade certiﬁcation for cooks is non-compulsory in Ontario. Apprenticeship training consists of 5,280 hours on the job work experience and 720 hours of in-school training (approximately 3 years).

SECONDARY SCHOOL
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Hospitality & Tourism

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board

COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Durham College: Culinary Skills
Fleming College: Cook – Pre-Apprentice – Haliburton
Loyalist College: Culinary Skills/Culinary Management

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Find your local employment service provider here or adult education and training provider here and contact them for current training programs such as:

Occupational-specific training, career planning, job search, resume writing, or government-funded programs
Upgrading and skills development including grade 12 support, customer service, money math, computers, and more

RED SEAL PROGRAM

Cook

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Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

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Food Counter Attendants & Kitchen Helpers

Hourly
Wages

Low
$17.20

Median
$17.20

High
$17.75

Main Job Duties

Take customers’ orders
Clean, peel, slice and trim foodstuffs using manual and electric appliances
Use equipment to prepare fast food items and hot beverages
Portion, assemble, and wrap food or place it directly on plates for service to patrons, and package take-out food

Skills

Customer Service
Interpersonal Skills
Food Safety Organization
Time Management

Job Title Examples

Food Counter Attendant
Kitchen Helper
Dietary Aide



Education & Training Resources

Some secondary school education is usually required.

On-the-job training is provided.

SECONDARY SCHOOL
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) – Hospitality & Tourism

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board

FLEMING COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Cook – Pre-Apprentice – Haliburton

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Find your local employment service provider here or adult education and training provider here and contact them for current training programs such as:

Occupational-specific training, career planning, job search, resume writing, or government-funded programs
Upgrading and skills development including grade 12 support, customer service, money math, computers, and more

View Job Posts

Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

Explore Another Career

Supervisors, Food & Beverage Processing

Hourly
Wages

Low
$23.60

Median
$31.46

High
$36.70

supervisors food and beverage professing duties

Main Job Duties

Establish methods to meet work schedules and co-ordinate work activities with other departments
Resolve work problems and recommend measures to improve productivity and product quality
Train workers in job duties, safety procedures and company policy
Prepare production and other reports
Requisition materials and supplies

Skills

Organization
Interpersonal Skills
Attention to Detail
Time Management Leadership Conflict Resolution

Job Title Examples

Manufacturing Supervisor
Production Lead
Quality Supervisor



Education & Training Resources

Several years’ experience working with the same company may be required.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Leadership Development
Canadian Certified Food Production Supervisor Certification
Leadership in a Team Environment

COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Durham College: Nutrition and Food Service Management
Fleming College: Project Management
Fleming College: Supply Chain Management – Global Logistics (Graduate Certificate)

ONTARIO TOURISM EDUCATION CORPORATION

Leadership Excellence Series

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Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

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Chefs

Hourly
Wages

Low
$19.00

Median
$22.00

High
$25.00

Main Job Duties

Plan menus and ensure food meets quality standards
Estimate food requirements and may estimate food and labour costs
Supervise activities of cooks and other kitchen workers
Prepare and cook full meals or specialty foods
Instruct cooks in preparation, cooking, garnishing and presentation of food

Skills

Customer Service Leadership
Interpersonal Skills
Time Management Planning

Job Title Examples

Sous Chef
Specialty Chef
Head Chef



Education & Training Resources

Cooks trade certification or equivalent credential, training and experience are required. Several years of experience in commercial food preparation are required.

COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Durham College: Culinary Skills

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Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Leadership Development
Project Management
Leadership in a Team Environment

Explore Another Career

Restaurant & Food Service Managers

Hourly
Wages

Low
$20.35

Median
$25.44

High
$34.24

Main Job Duties

Determine types of services to be offered and implement operational procedures
Recruit staff and oversee training
Set staff work schedules and monitor staff performance
Control inventory, monitor revenues and modify procedures and prices
Resolve customer complaints and ensure health and safety regulations are followed

Skills

Customer Service
Conflict Resolution Leadership
Communication Skills Planning

Job Title Examples

Hotel Restaurant Manager
Food Catering Manager
Bar Manager



Education & Training Resources

Completion of a college or other program related to hospitality or food and beverage service management is usually required.

Several years of experience in the food service sector, including supervisory experience, are required.

COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Durham College: Nutrition and Food Service Management

Fleming College: Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Leadership Development

Project Management

Leadership in a Team Environment

ONTARIO TOURISM EDUCATION CORPORATION

Leadership Excellence Series

View Job Posts

Online job posting numbers are designated via key word search and may not reflect the exact number of search results for this occupation.

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Entrepreneurs / Business Owners

Approximately 25 new businesses in the WDB Region are launched annually for this industry.

Main Job Duties

Creating and managing a business plan, ongoing research and planning, hiring staff, creating policies, and forecasting

Maintaining business accounts, payments processing, taxes and general bookkeeping

Develop marketing campaigns, manage social media and conduct other marketing activities

Respond to customer service inquiries, including answering phone calls and emails to build a positive reputation for the business

Skills

Work Independently
Customer Service
Organization Accounting
Time Management

Job Title Examples

Small Business Owner
Franchisee



Education & Training Resources

ONTARIO SUMMER COMPANY
Grant for students aged 15 to 29 to start a new summer business

Northumberland Summer Company Program

Peterborough Summer Company Program

Kawartha Lakes Summer Company Program

STARTER COMPANY PLUS
Grant for Canadians 18+ to start a new business or grow a business that has been in operations for fewer than five years

Northumberland Starter Company Program

Peterborough Starter Company Program

Kawartha Lakes Starter Company Program

COMMUNITY FUTURES
Financing, mentorship and community support for local small businesses

Haliburton County Development Corporation

Kawartha Lakes CFDC

Community Futures Peterborough

Northumberland CFDC

INNOVATION CLUSTER
Supports entrepreneurs in the formation and growth of tech-driven companies

Innovation Cluster

FLEMING COLLEGE
Post-Secondary

Business Case Development

Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Small Business Financial Management

TRENT UNIVERSITY
Post-Secondary

Business Administration (B.B.A.), Entrepreneurship Specialization

Explore Another Career

Sources:
National Occupational Classification (NOC)
Lightcast (2023.3)
Job Bank
Job posting data is from WDB Local Jobs Hub (WDB Region)

These Career Ladders were developed as part of the Pathways to Prosp erity Program
and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

Food Service

Career Ladder

Learn About The Food Service Career Path

* Many other career paths branch out from apprenticeship within the food service industry.

Entrepreneur / Business Owner

Supervisors, Food & Beverage Processing

Restaurant & Food Service Managers

Chefs

Cooks

Food Counter Attendants & Kitchen Helpers

Apprenticeships can lead to careers in food service. It is also possible to enter this career path directly.

Apprenticeship*

Apprenticeship

What is Apprenticeship?

Skills

Examples of Trades with Apprenticeships

Education & Training Resources

Cooks

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

Food Counter Attendants & Kitchen Helpers

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

Supervisors, Food & Beverage Processing

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

Chefs

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

Restaurant & Food Service Managers

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

Entrepreneurs / Business Owners

Main Job Duties

Skills

Job Title Examples

Education & Training Resources

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