How Much Does a Professional Chef Make?
Professional chefs create dishes and supervise kitchen staff in the preparation and serving of food. They may work in small, chef-owned restaurants or large institutional settings such as school cafeterias or business break rooms. Most start as food preparation workers and work their way up to more responsibility. Cooking school and vocational training are available for those who desire more rapid advancement. Voluntary certification, such as from the American Culinary Federation, can improve employability.
Other People Are Reading
-
Pay
-
The country's 94,300 professional chefs make $19.27 hourly, or $40,090 yearly, with a low of $10.99 or $22,860, and a high of $33.44 or $69,560. This information is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009. In addition, the lowest-paid 25 percent earn $14.46, or $30,080, while the highest-paid 25 percent makes $25.73, or $53,510.
Industries
-
The hiring industry plays a big factor in determining salary and employment opportunities. The highest-paying ones for chefs consist of management of companies and enterprises, with salaries at $32.25, or $67,070, and the federal government, at $30.44, or $63,310. However, they only provide 580 and 1,460 jobs respectively, making them a less likely avenue of employment. Far greater opportunities exist in industries offering high numbers of jobs such as full-service restaurants, with 48,380 positions and a wage of $20.07, or $41,170. Second on the opportunities list are traveler accommodation, with 11,290 positions, and salaries at $24.46, or $50,880.
-
States
-
The states in which jobs are performed also determine salaries. The states showing the highest wages for chefs are New Jersey, with compensation at $28.42, or $59,120, and Rhode Island, at $26.98, or $56,120. Unfortunately, they offer a total job concentration of about 1.5 positions per thousand workers, making employment difficult to find. States with higher concentrations of jobs are Nevada, with 2.2 jobs per thousand and salaries of $21.94, or $45,630, and Idaho, with 2.0 jobs and salaries at $12.05, or $25,060.
Cities
-
As with states, income can vary by city, with the profession's best-paying located in New York City, with wages at $38.91, or $80,940, and Ithaca, New York, at $32.69, or $67,990. As expected, their combined job concentration is low at a total of about 1.3 jobs per thousand workers. Better opportunities exist in Las Vegas, Nevada, with wages at $22.14, or $46,050, and job concentrations of 2.6 per thousand. Next on this list is Brunswick, Georgia, with wages at $13.68, or $28,450, and 2.4 jobs per thousand.
Job Future
-
The BLS sees chef jobs growing by 6 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is more slowly than average, with an expected slower-than-average salary growth. What little demand there is will come from an increasing population's insistence on food convenience. Competitions will be strongest at upscale restaurants with higher salaries. However, chain restaurants may offer better job opportunities, especially to chefs whose good business sense can save on costs.
-
