Salary Information for Culinary Arts Careers
Salaries in Culinary Arts Careers
Salaries for chefs or head cooks vary widely, depending on a variety of factors. Your work environment is one of them. Fine dining restaurants usually pay some of the highest wages. Other high-paying employers include hotels, resorts and individuals who hire private chefs. Institutional cafeterias, casual or fast food restaurants, and cruise ships tend to be among the lowest paying employers.
Aside from your work environment, your education level, previous work experience and geographic location will also determine your earning potential in culinary arts careers.
If the culinary arts appeal to you, go to the best culinary schools to ensure your future success.
Culinary School Graduate Salaries
Your degree or diploma will certainly give you an advantage over those who haven't attended culinary school. Across all fields, bachelor's degree holders earn almost twice as much as those with only a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Average Pay Ranges for Culinary Arts Careers
The table below shows the average annual earnings of the middle 50 percent of employees in culinary arts careers.*
| Culinary Job Title | Annual Earnings of Middle 50% |
|---|---|
| Cooking Assistant | $22,233 - 28,695 |
| Executive Chef | $57,471 - 87,563 |
| Executive Pastry Chef | $47,756 - 71,559 |
| Food Scientist | $49,862 - 75,800 |
| Hotel Manager | $68,000 - 124,756 |
| Line Cook | $20,169 - 26,396 |
| Restaurant Manager | $38,533 - 56,491 |
| Sous Chef | $33,912 - 53,123 |
* HR Data as reported by Salary.com in March, 2010.
Culinary Arts Resources
Education Articles
Choosing a Culinary Arts Program
Is Culinary School Worth the Tuition?
Cooking School Student Interview
Professor Interview: Inside Culinary Schools
Career Services at Culinary Arts Schools
Industry Articles
Jobs for Chef School Graduates
Salaries for Culinary Arts Careers
Cooking Tools: A Chef's Top Ten
Resources for Culinary Careers
Learn More About Culinary Arts
View a side-by-side comparison of culinary careers to find out which one is right for you.
Spotlight School
The French Culinary Institute
With top facilities and learning tools, and a faculty including many world-renowned chef-instructors, The French Culinary Institute has become known as the premier cooking school for aspiring chefs. Study the culinary arts at The French Culinary Institute's New York City campus.