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Professional Cooks Job Overview

Professional cooks prepare, cook and season an array of foods. They work in restaurants, hotels and institutions. Food preparation workers prepare poultry, trim meat, peel and cut vegetables and perform other duties like keeping work areas clean and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops to assist them. Professional cooks plan menus, decide serving sizes, order food supplies and oversee kitchen operations. They ensure uniform quality and presentation of meals. The specific duties of professional cooks are often determined by the restaurant in which they work.

Professional Cooks Schools and Degrees

The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 formal academic training programs and sponsors several apprenticeship programs around the country. Typical apprenticeships last 2 years and combine classroom training and work experience. Accreditation is an indication that a culinary program meets recognized standards regarding course content, facilities and quality of instruction. Some of the programs offered for professional cooks are the Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery, BTEC National Certificate/Diploma in Hospitality, BTEC HNC in Hospitality Management, BTEC HND in Professional Cookery and the Foundation degree in Professional Culinary Arts.

Many school districts provide on-the-job training and summer workshops for cafeteria kitchen workers who aspire to become chefs, in cooperation with state departments of education. Food service management companies, hotels and restaurant chains also offer paid internships and summer jobs to those starting out in the field.

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 prove accomplishment and lead to career advancement and higher-paying positions.

Professional cooks should be efficient, quick and 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 states require health certificates indicating that workers are free from communicable diseases.

Nature of Work

Professional cooks work in different environments depending on the type and quantity of food they are preparing. They may be required to stand for hours at a time, lift heavy pots and pans and work near hot ovens and grills. Work can be in the early mornings, late evenings, holidays and weekends.

Professional Cooks Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, professional cooks held about 115,000 jobs in the U.S. That number is expected to grow by 8% in the next ten years. Employment is 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 professional cooks in the U.S. is about $19.57, while the mean annual salary is around $40,700.

Job Numbers and Growth

Professional cooks nationally number 16,000. The unemployment level for workers is very high, compared to other occupations. About 9% of employees were unemployed recently.

Area Job Conditions

Professional cooks are relatively common in Houma (Louisiana), Montgomery (Alabama), and Fresno (California). They are rarer in Orlando (Florida), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), and Atlanta (Georgia).

Workers are paid highest in Bridgeport (Connecticut), Baltimore (Maryland), and Charlottesville (Virginia), and lowest in Davenport (Iowa), Akron (Ohio), and Houston (Texas).

Training and Education

Employees are generally expected to have moderate-term on-the-job training. About 5% of professional cooks hold a bachelor's degree or better. Currently 19% of workers have some college education, though not a degree. About 77% of employees were able to get their jobs with a high-school diploma. 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

About 30% of professional cooks work less than full-time. In 1% of the cases, workers work for themselves.

Professional 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.

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

Washington