Related job titles are: Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Chef, Cook, Executive Chef, Banquet Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Head Cook, Pastry Chef, or Food and Beverage Director.
How Much Does a Culinary Professional Make? | Culinary Professional Salary
The median yearly salary for chefs and head cooks was $40,630 in May 2010 (the most recent data available). This median salary is simply the salary where half the employees earned more and half earned a lesser amount. Employees in the lower 10 percent had an annual salary less than $23,260, and those employees in the top 10 percent earned greater then $70,960.
What Does a Culinary Professional Do? | Job Description
Restaurant Chef is one of U.S. News and World Report "100 Best Jobs of 2013."
Executive chefs, head cooks, and chefs de cuisine are primarily responsible for overseeing the operation of a kitchen. They coordinate the work of sous chefs and other cooks, who prepare most of the meals. Executive chefs also have many duties beyond the kitchen. They design the menu, review food and beverage purchases, and often train employees. Some executive chefs are primarily occupied by administrative tasks and spend little time in the kitchen.
Sous chefs are a kitchen’s second-in-command. They supervise the restaurant’s cooks, do some meal preparation tasks, and report results to the head chefs. In the absence of the head chef, sous chefs run the kitchen.
How to Become a Culinary Professional?
Most chefs acquire their skills through work experience. Many others, however, receive formal training at a community college, technical school, culinary arts school, or an associate's degree at a 2-year, or a bachelor's degree at a 4-year college. A few learn through apprenticeship programs or in the armed forces.
Culinary Classes and Courses | Degree Programs
A growing number of chefs and head cooks receive formal training at community colleges, technical schools, culinary arts schools, and 2-year or 4-year institutions. Students in culinary programs spend most of their time in kitchens practicing their cooking skills. These programs cover all aspects of kitchen work, including menu planning, food sanitation procedures, and purchasing and inventory methods.
Culinary Jobs | Who is Hiring?
Population and income growth is expected to result in greater demand for more high-quality dishes at a variety of dining venues, including many up-scale establishments. Workers with a combination of business skills, previous work experience, and creativity will have the best job prospects.
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