How to become a Cook

Official title: Cooks

Cooks prepare and cook meals in hotels, restaurants, private homes and other establishments.

Main tasks

• Plan menus and cook meals
• Supervise and coordinate the work of kitchen helpers
• Decide ingredient quantities and combinations from recipes and personal experience, and check food quality
• Inspect kitchens, equipment and service areas to ensure safe and hygienic food handling

Ways in

• Technical college: Technical and vocational college programme. Universities of science and technology and junior colleges run departments in related fields: hospitality and catering (1013). Departments in academic year 114 (2025-26): four-year technical bachelor's (四技) 53, two-year technical bachelor's (二技) 13, five-year junior college (五專) 15, two-year junior college (二專) 5. Fields matched to the occupation by Peernovo.; Technician certificate: Chinese cooking. National technician skill test (技術士技能檢定) run by the Workforce Development Agency, trade 076 中餐烹調. Tested at grade B (乙級), grade C (丙級). Peernovo links this trade to the occupation.; Technician certificate: Western cooking. National technician skill test (技術士技能檢定) run by the Workforce Development Agency, trade 140 西餐烹調. Tested at grade B (乙級), grade C (丙級). Peernovo links this trade to the occupation.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Average pay: NT$538,000 a year
• Demand for Service and sales jobs is projected at about 2,220,000 in 2024 and about 2,287,000 in 2030. (+3%)
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Cook?

Ways in include: Technical and vocational college programme; Technician certificate: Chinese cooking.

How much does a Cook earn in Taiwan?

Average pay is NT$538,000 a year (Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics).

Is a Cook a growing career in Taiwan?

Demand for this job family is projected to change 3% from 2024 to 2030 (National Development Council).

Will AI change the work of a Cook?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Labor, Department of Statistics: Occupational Wage Survey (職類別薪資調查) (2025 survey (July 2025 monthly, 2024 annual), released 2026-05-29), Open Government Data License, version 1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• National Development Council: Final manpower demand projections by occupation (職業別最終人力需求推估) (2025 to 2030 (base 2024), 13 job families), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026