Culinary Career Salaries

There’s a wide spread of salaries and jobs in the culinary industry. Wages can vary by occupation, venue, experience, even the city of employment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average yearly wage for a chef or head cook was about $44,780. The average hourly wage was about $21.53.

Top earners are the chefs we see on TV, who earn their money not just through restaurants and cooking shows, but also through marketing their brands. Without the branding chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsey and Mario Batali can earn high pay, but the TV shows, books and product lines can increase their earnings into the millions.

Of course, earnings also varied by their place of employment. Workers in high-end restaurants, resorts and five-star hotel restaurants tend to earn more than those who worked in the institutional setting, like the cafeterias of schools and hospitals. The earnings personal chefs and caterers vary according to the events and the private households. Workers in the fast food industry and basic food preparation fields tend to earn the least.

Workers in metropolitan cities also tended to earn more than their counterparts in smaller cities and towns. Top-paying cities for cooks and chefs, according to BLS statistics, included the New York City and New Jersey area; the Naples-Marco Island, area in Florida; New Haven, Connecticut; and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

All Figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment & Wages database.

• 

  The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division

  The world of tomorrow awaits. The world of fashion, of design, of media. This world is looking for the next generation of talented professionals ready to make an impact with their passion, their talent and their training from the leader in online creative arts education, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division.

  As part of the renowned Art Institutes system of schools, with more than 45 campus locations across the country, we build on more than 85 years of excellence in delivering 27 academic programs designed to help you succeed.

• 

  Ashworth College

  Ashworth offers respected, affordable online degree programs and expert guidance to help you meet your goals while balancing work and family. Now you can get the precise training you need to become the professional you’ve always wanted to be. And you can go as far as your education takes you.

• 

  Penn Foster

  Having the right skills is vitally important in today’s super-competitive job market. With online training from Penn Foster Career School, students are assured of learning up-to-date career skills that will prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Students at Penn Foster Career School can get the training they need quickly, conveniently, and affordably.

  Penn Foster is one of the world’s largest and most respected online education providers. Their programs are job focused, and they offer training for employment in the fastest-growing fields in business, technology, health care, and the trades.

• 

  The Art Institutes

  Why choose an Art Institutes school? That’s truly the central question, isn’t it? The short answer: because we can help you turn your passion and inspiration into a rewarding career. At The Art Institutes schools, we recognize and share your creative passion. You have the inspiration and great ideas; we have the industry-relevant technology and hands-on degrees to help you make it happen in the real world. With schools located across North America, we are America’s Leader in Creative Education. Choose an Art Institutes school and let’s get started.

• 

  Lincoln Culinary Institute

  Lincoln Culinary Institute is committed to providing each student with one of the most memorable and interesting educational experiences of their lives. We focus on teaching classical cooking techniques and methods with a modern twist. Our instructors teach practical skills in either our brigade-style kitchens, or in our European island-style kitchens.

  By fostering a hands-on teaching environment our students learn interactively through discussion, demonstration and direct contact with chef-instructors, administrators, restaurant owners, industry professionals and chefs and are prepared to enter the fast-paced food service industry upon graduation. By engaging students in the learning process, together we can produce results.

• 

  Salter College

  Salter College, a private two-year college, offers an enriching balance of liberal arts and professional career education. We are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students through quality education and support services while fostering an environment that inspires academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and an interest in life-long learning and continued higher education.

• 

  Keiser University

  At Keiser University we are here to help you succeed by providing the professional and academic foundation to meet your educational goals and objectives. Keiser University continues to be a valuable partner to employers, the community, and, above all, a valued choice for students serious about their education and career.

• 

  Star Career Academy

  Star Career Academy – the career school of choice. What makes us unique, and unlike other trade schools, is the dedication of our staff to provide performance-based occupational training. Students will be prepared for entry-level employment in allied health fields, hotel and restaurant management, cosmetology, or a choice from our professional cooking, culinary, baking or pastry schools. Students gain the knowledge and confidence they need so that they may quickly gain employment and achieve the success they desire. Choose from any of our convenient locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Long Island.

• 

  Dorsey Schools

  The entire staff of Dorsey Schools strives to prepare men and women for the best possible career opportunities in various fields. We are committed to providing quality career education and positive reinforcement to enable the individual development of self- esteem, self- reliance, discipline and confidence in all graduates, coupled with an obligation to the communities in which they live and work.

• 

  Branford Hall Career Institute

  Prestigious Branford Hall has been a leader in professional education for four decades. Branford Hall has campuses conveniently located in Branford, Southington and Windsor, Connecticut; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Albany and Bohemia, New York. Students are instructed with state-of-the-art, real-world technologies that today’s employers are seeking.