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5 steps · MA
Dishwasher / Prep Cook
Wash dishes, prep vegetables, and learn how a real kitchen runs — no experience needed.
Pay range
$16–$20/hr in MA, plus a share of the tip pool at most full-service restaurants. Hotels and union kitchens (Marriott, Encore, MGM Springfield) pay the high end with benefits.
What this job is
The honest version
This is the easiest way into a restaurant kitchen in Massachusetts. Dishwashers and prep cooks don't need a license, a degree, or prior experience — most spots will hire you on the spot if you can show up clean, sober, and ready to work. You'll wash dishes, scrub pots, break down boxes, chop vegetables, portion proteins, and keep the line stocked. The point of this rung is to find out if you actually like the heat, speed, and rhythm of a kitchen before you commit to becoming a cook. Many of the best chefs in Boston, Cambridge, and Worcester started exactly here.
Is this you?
You'll fit if…
- You can stand on your feet for 8 hours without slowing down
- You stay calm when the dining room is slammed and tickets pile up
- You take direction without arguing during service
- You're okay being hot, sweaty, and a little grimy by close
What you'll do
Core skills
- Knife safety and basic cuts (dice, julienne, chiffonade)
- Reading and following a prep list
- Running a 3-compartment sink and dish machine correctly
- Date-labeling and rotating product (FIFO)
- Cleaning down a station to health-code standards
- Keeping pace during a rush without freezing
What you'll need
Required certifications
Stand out
Things that give you a leg up
- ServSafe Food Handler card (~$15 online) — not legally required in MA but many corporate restaurants want it
- A vocational high school culinary track (Madison Park, Greater Lowell Tech, Minuteman, Worcester Tech)
- Prior dish or prep experience anywhere — even one summer counts
- Bilingual (Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole) — most MA back-of-house teams are multilingual
- A reliable way to get to early-morning prep shifts
Take a step
Learn more
- Walk into 5 restaurants near closing time and ask for the kitchen manager — most are hiring
- Take the MA Allergen Awareness course online (~$10, 90 minutes)
- Buy a pair of slip-resistant shoes and a 6-inch chef knife (~$60 at a restaurant supply)
- Apply at hotels and country clubs — they pay more and offer real benefits
Heads up
Real talk before you commit
- Pay starts low, but kitchens promote internally fast — a good dishwasher becomes a prep cook in 3–6 months.
- Burns, cuts, and slips are real. Pay attention in your first month and learn the safe way to do everything.
- Late nights, weekends, and holidays are the job. If that's a dealbreaker, look at hotels, hospitals, schools, or corporate dining instead.