How to Research Salary Ranges and Benefits for a Chef

Few chefs become as famous - or as wealthy - as Julia Child or Wolfgang Puck. Average annual salaries of chefs range from approximately $19,000 to $47,000, depending on geographic area and experience.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cookbooks
• Internet Access
• Computers

1. Talk to chefs and managers in local restaurants about salary ranges in your area.

2. Accept that you will probably have to attend a culinary school for a period of a few months to four years, depending on your career goals.

3. Expect your early years as a chef to be filled with long hours and low wages.

4. Apply at establishments that will teach you the fundamentals of the specialty that interests you.

5. Look for those employers that will provide you with meals and, if you're lucky, uniforms.

6. Expect to receive standard benefits only if you work full-time.

7. Realize that kitchen workers in some large hotels and restaurants belong to unions. Initiation fees and monthly dues are then required.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a specialization if you intend to work for higher-paying upscale restaurants.

• Stay current on advances in the field through Web sites and industry magazines.

• If the head chef leaves or is fired, his or her entire staff may be asked to leave.