What is the Salary of a Chef?

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Know Your Establishment

The average salary of a chef ranges between $23,000 and $53,000 a year. Much of the salary is dependent on the type, size and reputation of the restaurant or other food service business and chefs’ duties. A small business, such as a lodge or small, privately owned restaurant, may have a minimal staff or offer a limited menu, specializing in only two or three main items. The pay may be modest, but the degree of responsibility limited to a small staff and direct contact with the owner. The work may be seasonal, more dependent on tourism than on local popularity.

Higher paid chefs work for five star restaurants, hotels and on cruise ships. Their responsibilities lie in both food preparation and excellent management skills. Top chefs can be paid in excess of $70,000 a year. The competition for a top chef position is fierce, but so is the competition among restaurants to keep a top quality chef. It’s not unusual for a restaurant lose a large percentage of its customer base when a chef switches from one restaurant to another, taking his exquisite cooking skills with him.

Cafeteria Chef

Some chefs work in hospital cafeterias or other organizations involved with health care. While a dietary cook earns an average salary of $20,000- $31,000 a year, the salary of an executive chef in food and nutrition services, can earn $77,000 a year. The salary of a chef planning and producing a school menu averages $35,000 a year.

Cafeteria chefs specialize in the creation of nutritional, tasty foods for growing young bodies, special dietary considerations or for elderly menus. Their challenges may include creating a variety of gluten-free dishes or dairy free dishes, using whole grains or catering to vegetarian preferences. Often, they will be called the head cook, but their duties are those of a chef, organizing and running the kitchen staff, ordering foods and supplies as needed and creating a menu.

Freedom of Expression

A chef is basically his or her own business. He or she has the skills to create wonderful food products that satisfy the customers and keep them coming back for more. The greater the chef skills are, the more desirable he or she becomes to the food industry and the greater the demand will be for his or her services. A chef may hire out to catering services, receiving top dollar to put together luncheons, dinners, and menus for parties and festivals.

Because of their high-level management skills, chefs have the training to open their own businesses. The salary of the chef is then determined by the degree of success the business realizes. Those who have already made a name for themselves with their ability to produce fine cuisine have an automatic customer base once the chef opens up his or her specialty restaurant. Customers follow their appetites and are loyal to the chef who offers delicious platters over and over again.

Wherever you go, there will be a demand for chefs. Large companies may even send their chefs overseas to begin a new branch of their restaurant services. They may work for chain restaurants or for the hospitality industry, catering to tourists and to business conventions. The type of foods you serve may be dependent on the environment. Coastal towns will often look for chefs that specialize in seafood, while others may concentrate on foods typical for the region or International flavors. If your career decision is to become a chef, you’ll want to decide the type of food industry you wish to work for, how well your specialization skills fit your location and the opportunities your location will give you to advance in your career.