How Much Money Can You Earn as a Chef?
Don’t be surprised by the huge spread of salaries across the culinary realm. Contemporary chefs work in a diverse array of kitchens and environments that demand varying levels of skills.
Top Salaries for Chefs
Executive Chef is the pinnacle of the profession, but even so pay differs. For example, the Executive Chef in the White House earns a surprisingly modest salary--under $100,000--given the importance and notoriety of the position. This individual is expected to prepare anything from a simple American sandwich to a fancy dinner attended by hundreds of dignitaries.
Top dollar Executive Chef jobs are limited, but lead positions are available at many types of restaurants, resorts and hotels both here and abroad. A more common salary for a head chef is between $50,000 and $80,000.
Certainly the highest salaries paid to chefs are those earned by celebrity chefs. A million dollars and up is common for chefs you see with programs on The Food Network. Many also parlay that “cooking show” income into other markets: they sell kitchen gadgets and tools, cookbooks, make celebrity appearances and dip their toes into very profitable ventures that net them millions of dollars annually for their culinary charisma.
Median Chef Salaries
The real workhorses of the kitchen might be the assistant chefs, pastry chef and sauce chef. Here salary is determined in large part by regional location and type of restaurant. For example, a sous chef working in an upscale restaurant in New York City will earn considerably more than a sous chef working in a casual dining setting in Cleveland, Ohio.
Median salary for assistant chefs, sous chefs and head cooks lies somewhere between $30,000 and $50,000.
But remember, these salaries vary greatly. If you go to work as a chef in a grocery store or a hospital you better bet your earnings will be meager compared to the possible responsibilities attached to the job.
Where You Work Determines How Much You Earn
Make it as a chef and your next goal will likely be to improve your work environment.
Top chef job environments include:
- Upscale resorts here and abroad
- High-end hotels
- Top rated restaurants in major metro areas
- Celebrity cooking shows
Lowest paying environments for chefs and cooks:
- Hospitals and nursing homes
- Schools and other cafeterias
- Fast food and casual dining restaurants
- Specialty grocery stores and delis