Culinary Arts Career Overview

Culinary arts as a profession encompasses several subdisciplines, all of which are centered around preparing and presenting food. Entering any of these areas involves developing an array of skills, including ingredient identification, food handling, storage, knife skills, and more.

Of course, anyone who wants to enter this profession must love food and be passionate about cooking. While these offer strong foundations, they are not enough.

Interested individuals must consider the educational options, licensing and certification requirements, work environments, and more. The purpose of the guide on this page is to help readers develop a solid understanding of all of these considerations so that they can start their culinary arts career anywhere with utmost confidence.

What are Chefs’ Responsibilities?

To become a successful chef, it is imperative to understand the duties of a chef. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chefs and head cooks are professionals who oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other establishments where food is served.

Chefs and head cooks are expected to check the freshness of ingredients and foods during a day’s work, supervise the activities of workers who contribute to the general process, and develop recipes and presentation techniques.

Other notable responsibilities include:

• Planning menus,
• Inspecting supplies,
• Ensuring cleanliness,
• Training and hiring workers, and
• Maintaining food and supply inventory.

Chef Work Environment

Even though chefs are mostly associated with restaurants, this isn’t the only work environment where culinary arts professionals thrive. They can also work in special food services, sometimes securing employment in residential establishments as personal chefs.

Data provided by the BLS categorizes chefs who work in restaurants as making up 50% of the workforce. Those who work in special food services make up 10%, while those who work in traveler accommodation amount to 9%.

Other categories include chefs in the amusement and recreation industries (6%) and self-employed chefs (4%).

How to Become a Chef

The steps necessary to become a chef across the country can be summarized as follows:

Basic Requirements

Most training programs across the United States prefer applicants who already have a high school diploma or those with a GED equivalent. Students usually also need to have a strong knowledge of high school home economics and basic sciences.

Proper Education

Proper education for a prospective culinary artist/chef should encompass classroom, practical, and real-world training. For the classroom and practical aspects of their education, candidates tend to attend an official program offered by a community college or technical institution.

It is highly advisable to choose an accredited program when choosing one of these programs. The American Culinary Federation, through its Education Foundation, is the most reputable accreditation agency for culinary arts programs across the country.

Training Duration

The specific duration of a culinary arts training program usually varies depending on the award category. The most common options are certificate programs that can be completed in 6 months and associate degree programs that can be completed in 2 years.

Some colleges and universities also offer comprehensive bachelor’s degree programs in Culinary Arts and Food Science that can be completed in four years.

Certification

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited institution typically enjoy the opportunity of being certified. Even though certification is not a legal requirement to become a chef, it is absolutely valuable for credibility, networking, and other career opportunities.

The American Culinary Federation’s Certified Culinarian credential is one of the common choices for professionals in the field. It is available to candidates who graduate from an ACF-accredited program.

Work Experience

As mentioned earlier, even though a training program can provide classroom and practical education, prospective chefs still need work experience to be as competent and confident as possible. Work experience can be obtained through an internship.

Some schools also have restaurants and cafes on campus that can be leveraged for this purpose.

During the early parts of their careers, chefs and culinary artists typically work in supplementary roles like line cooks and prep cooks.

Specializations

Specialization is highly encouraged for chefs thanks to the opportunity it provides to develop expertise and authority quickly. Instead of focusing on general techniques, candidates can effectively set themselves apart by mastering one subdiscipline.

For instance, chefs can choose to distinguish themselves by focusing on international cuisines. Some go into culinary management, where they take a leadership role, while others may focus on baking and pastry.

It is also possible to specialize even further. For instance, chefs involved in international cuisines may focus on a specific country or region, such as Russian, Chinese, Japanese, or French cuisines.

Salary & Career Outlook

The annual average salary of a chef will ultimately depend on several factors, ranging from the work environment and specialty to experience and location. Generally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the median annual wage for professionals in this field to be around $58,920.

The lowest 10% in the field still manage an annual average salary of $36,040, while the top 10% get to end the year with an annual average salary of $93,900.

Sorting by the work environment, chefs in the amusement and recreation industries earn an average annual salary of $66,310; those who work in traveler accommodation earn an average annual salary of $65,970; and chefs in special food services make an average of around $63,220 at the end of each year.

Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projections for the culinary arts field over the coming decade are very positive. The field is expected to grow by 8% from 2023 to 2025.

This rate surpasses the average growth rate for other professions. Until 2025, around 24,600 jobs will be created every year.

The reasons for the projection are varied, but the bulk of the openings will arise due to the need for high-quality dishes at dining venues and an expected increase in consumer demand for healthier meals made from scratch by cafeterias and restaurants.