What is the Annual Salary for a Chef?

What is the Annual Salary for a Chef?

Apr 9, 2015 | 9:00 am

There are different ways that you can approach the position of a chef, so you can get a high salary as well as a good chef position. A good idea would be to enroll in class for an educational degree. Chefs with educational backgrounds usually have an easier time qualifying for positions and brining something extra to the interview. The more experience and education you build in your resume, the higher the chances are for a better annual salary.

Different Chef Salaries

The best chef job is considered to be the executive chef, whose payment can reach abnormally high levels, provided he or she works at the right place and has built a career over decades. The very best of executive chefs manage to reach a chef annual salary of a hundred thousand dollars. However, in order to achieve this, they need to demonstrate a stellar background.

The best salaries are usually given at independent hotels, luxurious resorts and personal residences. The main chefs in such places receive salaries that range from $50,000 to $100,000 annually. There is such thing as chef millionaires. For example, the ones that host their own television show can easily make more than six figures. However, they do represent a great rarity in the common picture; the chances of becoming a TV celebrity are not likely, but are actually growing in comparison now to years ago, because of web shows, cable, books and so on.

There is also the case of chefs and chef assistants who are on their way to becoming head chefs. They receive considerably lower payment. With an average salary of eight to fifteen dollars an hour, the chef annual salary is very far away from the top. Chef jobs like the pastry chef and the sous chef are the most common jobs people have before they sign up to become executive chefs and these are jobs that they need to practice for a long time before the dream job is accomplished.

The different salaries depend on different location and venues. If you are working at the center of New York, you might earn much more as a sous chef than as an executive chef in some ranch in the countryside. All in all, the latest statistics confirm that the average salaries for most chefs (not executive ones) vary between $35,000 and $50,000.

Boasting Your Salary

You need to be well aware of the ways in which you can increase your chef annual salary. You have to pick your location carefully, as well as the type of place you work (restaurant, hotel, etc.). You need to pay good attention to the listed experience in your CV and your own personal abilities. You must make sure that you have some sort of educational background because it will always be a plus during your selection process and during the time when your salary is being determined/negotiated. You have to pay attention to the specific responsibilities you have and make sure that you will be able to carry them out consistently. Also, pay attention to your financial condition. Is the salary right for you? How much will you need to earn, pay back loans, and live a productive life? These questions can help you focus on your career climb.