Chefs And Lead Cook Schools, Salaries, and Job Data
Chefs and Lead Cooks Job Overview
Chefs and lead cooks prepare, cook and season a wide range of dishes. They work in restaurants, hotels and institutions. Assistants also help them by peeling and cutting vegetables, preparing poultry and trimming meat. The assistants also perform other duties such as keeping work areas clean and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops. Chefs and lead cooks decide on serving sizes, plan menus, order food supplies and oversee kitchen operations to ensure uniform quality and presentation of meals. The restaurant in which they work often determines the specific duties of chefs and lead cooks. Chefs and lead cooks may also hire and train cooks. They also keep records of food supplies that are used and analyze the cost of supplies and labor..
Chefs and Lead Cooks Schools and Degrees
Courses offered by high school or vocational school programs are basic food safety and handling procedures, cooking, general business and computer classes. Many school districts provide on-the-job training and summer workshops for cafeteria kitchen workers who want to become chefs. Food service management companies and hotel and restaurant chains also offer paid internships and summer jobs to those starting out in the field.
The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic training programs and sponsors apprenticeship programs around the country. A typical apprenticeship lasts 2 years through combined classroom training and work experience.
Job Requirements
The American Culinary Federation certifies pastry professionals, personal chefs and culinary educators, in addition to various levels of chefs. Certification standards are based primarily on experience and formal training. Although certification is not required, it can help to prove accomplishment and lead to advancement and higher-paying positions.
Chefs and lead cooks should be efficient, quick and be able to work well in a team. They are required to have creativity and an intense sense of taste and smell. Personal cleanliness is essential because most organizations require health certificates indicating that workers are free from communicable diseases.
Nature of Work
Chefs and lead cooks work in diverse environments depending on the type and quantity of food they are preparing and also on the local laws governing food service operations. They need to stand for hours at a time and work near hot ovens and grills. They may be required to work in the early mornings, late evenings, holidays and even weekends.
Chefs and Lead Cooks Jobs and Outlook
According to research in 2006, chefs and lead cooks held about 115,000 jobs in the US and the jobs are expected to grow by 8% by the next ten years. Employment is the highest in the following industries:
Full-Service Restaurants
Limited-Service Eating Places
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
Special Food Services
Traveler Accommodation
The mean hourly wage for chefs and lead cooks in the US is about $19.57, while the mean annual wages are around $40,700.
Job Numbers and Growth
About 115,000 chefs and lead cooks are employed nationally. Workers can expect a high level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2008, 5% of employees could not find jobs.
Area Job Conditions
Popular locations for chefs and lead cooks include Atlantic City (New Jersey), Brunswick (Georgia), and Barnstable (Massachusetts). Fewer are found in Fort Wayne (Indiana), Tallahassee (Florida), and Provo (Utah).
Workers looking for high salaries should look at Terre Haute (Indiana), Sebastian (Florida), and Napa (California), and should avoid Morristown (Tennessee), Mobile (Alabama), and Brunswick (Georgia).
Training and Education
Employees often obtain work experience in a related occupation before starting. The percentage of chefs and lead cooks with college degrees is 14%. Workers with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 39% of the total. Some employees, about 48%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
Part-time chefs and lead cooks are 8% of all surveyed. Some workers, about 7%, work for themselves.
Chefs And Lead Cooks by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.
Schools recommended for people interested in this career. Request info with quick online forms. These particular schools are noted for getting back to people fast.