Salary Expectation for Those Interested In a Career as a Chef

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Upon graduating from culinary arts school, do not be shocked to find that there is a wide salary range across every available professional culinary position. Being a chef requires one to have a variety of skills.

Chef Career Salary

A chef’s salary is based on a number of factors, some of these factors are clearly within one’s control, and others are not. Having a culinary arts education/training prepares you to take on several roles in the kitchen.

It is important to understand that your very first role in the kitchen is not the role of an Executive Chef, so you will need to measure your expectations earlier on prior to carving out your chosen culinary niche. Management and business training are training segments that offer you the opportunity to take on administrative roles within and outside the kitchen. If you aspire to become an Executive Chef or take on upper-level hospitality roles, then it is important that you include the following courses to your education in culinary arts school:

•Budgeting
•Food cost analysis
•Supervising
•Purchasing

Top Chef Career Salary Quotes and Why

According to the prediction of the United States’ Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job of an executive chef stands at the top of the food chain in the hierarchy of kitchen staff organization. Although the job is right at the top of the kitchen staff employment barrel, but the pay scale is known to vary widely across this line of work. For example, Executive Chefs who work at high-end hotels and restaurants earn more than Executive Chefs who work at smaller establishments.

It is no secret that top dollar chef jobs are few and far between, but top positions are often available at fine dining establishments, hotels, international resorts, and in private homes. Common salaries for Head Chefs are between the sum of $50,000 and $100,000 per annum – reputable properties are known to offer the largest pay packages.

Becoming an entrepreneur is also a great way to earn a good living as a chef. Celebrity chefs are becoming quite popular and many of them have their very own reality cooking shows. Some celebrity chefs like Rachel Ray make a lot of money by endorsing products and selling their own line of cookware and other stuff like cookbooks. Building a solid reputation as a chef is one way to earn credibility to launch one’s celebrity chef career – the Internet has proven to be a powerful tool for reaching thousands of people.

The median salaries for sous chefs, assistant chefs, and head cooks are between $30,000 and $50,000 per annum.

Factors that Determine How Much a Chef Earns

Below are some of the factors that determine how much money a chef will earn upon graduation from culinary arts school:

•Location
•Experience
•Type of eating/dining establishment
•Educational level
•Size of property
•Specific work responsibilities
•General economic conditions

As a graduate of the Culinary Arts, do not be afraid to think outside the box when you seek for employment. Modern cooks and chefs work at resorts, casinos, personal chef companies, hospitals, schools, catering outfits, spas, cruise lines, corporate facilities and fast food restaurants.