What is the Average Chef’s Salary?

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The Low End to the High End

The celebrated chef living a life of luxury and consulting for world-class restaurants doesn’t truly present a good picture of the average chef. Only twenty-five percent of executive chefs earn an income over $80,000 a year, with the top ten percent earning $90,000 a year or more. On the other end of the spectrum, twenty-five percent of executive chefs earn less than $56,000 a year. That sliding middle ground depends on location, type of enterprise and degree of business.

Over half of all chefs are managers for the fast food industry. Many begin their careers with minimum wage jobs as cashiers, servers or prep cooks. After several years, they work themselves into an assistant manager’s position and receive management training. Others apply for their positions after completing an associate’s degree program in the culinary arts. The average chef salary for fast food managers is between $34,000 – $40,000 a year. They may be expected to change location, work long hours and on weekends and holidays.

The Life of the Average Chef

Becoming a chef usually has some very modest beginnings. Many of them begin their careers straight out of high school, or even while they are still receiving secondary education, serving fast food or working for a commercial restaurant. Commercial restaurants allow them to learn all the stations of full-service establishment, with a variety of dishes and a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Their first experiences in the kitchen are usually as a prep cook, learning to cut, dice and prepare foods for salads, skillets or the oven.

If they are skillful, they are moved to soups and sauces, where they learn to blend, spice and simmer ingredients for texture and taste. Once they’ve started flipping eggs in a skillet and grilling that perfect steak, they have graduated to line cooks, and sometimes given the title of chefs, although they are responsible only for the platters that come out of their station. They are still not making an average chef salary, however. They are paid by the hour and can expect to bring home anywhere between $20,000 and $40,000 a year, depending on the restaurant and the amount of hours they work. There are usually a fairly large number of prep cooks and line cooks hired for a restaurant, with many of them scheduled for the busiest hours, working an average of four to six hours each day.

Securing the High End Job

Commercial restaurants are an excellent way for prospective chefs to gain kitchen experience. However, they generally work with a standardized menu and are expected to produce consistent platters. They may feel frustrated, if they are eager to try a little extra creativity and daring in serving fine cuisine. The average chef salary for those working for commercial restaurants is between $35,000 and $54,000 a year.

Chefs working for a private enterprise may sometimes make less than a commercial restaurant chef, especially if they are working in a small town that depends on seasonal traffic. The advantage is, they have more room for freedom of expression and a chance to gain a reputation as a desirable chef.

Restaurant employment has a high turnover rate. Those who pursue a cooking career typically begin in fast food or commercial restaurants, switching to the better-paying establishments as they gain experience. It’s not very difficult to break into the restaurant business. You mainly have to show a willingness to learn and love for the culinary arts, but your rise through the ranks to the hospitality industry is also marked by attitude. The average chef salary goes up considerably when the platters he or she produces is well above average, when the chef shows a keen interest in the success of the business and is well-liked, both with fellow employees and the customers.