Be the Best Chef You Can Be

Top Places

Hotels

Hotel restaurants generally pay their workers more than the average restaurant, and are the most common career choice for culinary professionals. You may be able to gain entry-level work without any prior experience, however if you want to get promoted to a higher position, formal training may be required. An assistant chef working at a hotel restaurant could earn $20,000 a year, while an executive chef could make up to $70,000 a year. A hotel manager, on the other hand, could earn between $40,000 and $100,000 a year.

Hotel restaurants hire professionals for the following positions:

• Commis chef
• Assistant chef
• Sous chef
• Executive chef
• Pastry chef
• Baker
• Food stylist
• Kitchen and bar manager
• Prep or line cook

Private Homes

Want to cook for the stars? Personal chefs can work for celebrities, politicians, athletes, or even royal families! Personal chefs must be comfortable working with all types of kitchen equipment, and should understand how to create and prepare pastries, breads, desserts, meats, sauces, and appetizers. A personal chef could earn up to $30,000 a year with one year of experience, and up to $100,000 a year with over 20 years of experience. (The higher the star, the higher the pay)

Private homes could hire one or many chefs to fulfill the following positions:

• Assistant chef
• Head chef
• Food stylist
• Pastry chef

Cruise Ship

Cruisin’ through the waters of the world may sound like an ideal dream job, but it can also feel isolated and repetitive. Employees may be away from home for weeks or even months at a time, and will have to share a small room with their co-workers. Cruise ship cooks could earn anywhere from $400 to $2000 a month, but perks like free housing and food make up for the lack of pay.

Cruise ships hire professionals for the following positions:

• Assistant chef
• Sous chef
• Commis chef
• Head chef
• Pastry chef
• Baker
• Food stylist
• Kitchen and bar manager

Be Your Own Boss

Owning your own restaurant or kitchen is becoming more and more popular for professional chefs. All restaurant owners must have some kind of formal education, and are responsible for assigning various roles to specific positions in the kitchen. There are various types of certificates, diplomas, and degrees dedicated to management, as restaurant owners should be educated in accounting, budgeting, and marketing. Salaries vary according to annual company sales and the size of the business. Weeks and months could go by where you don’t make any money at all, and you might have to pay employees out of your own pocket.

Top Positions

Head or Executive Chef

Everyone wants to be the head honcho in the kitchen, but becoming a head and/or executive chef can be heavy competition, and requires formal education and training. Head or executive chefs get paid the most out of all of the kitchen staff, and usually have at least several years of experience. Executive chefs can make an average of $40,000 a year, or up to $70,000 with over 20 years of experience.

Here are some of the various educational programs available for future head or executive chefs: (Programs vary according to geographical location)

• Professional cookery apprenticeship
• Food and drink service apprenticeship
• Culinary essentials diploma
• Professional cook diploma
• Executive chef certificate
• Master chef certificate
• Personal executive chef certificate
• Executive pastry chef certificate
• Master pastry chef certificate
• Culinary arts associate’s degree
• Advanced culinary arts associate’s degree
• Culinary arts bachelor’s degree

Caterer

A career in catering is a great option for those not interested in a typical 9 to 5 job. Caterers plan and prepare food for various events such as weddings and parties. Basic culinary training or a formal education is preferred, but not usually required. Caterers could earn $30,000 a year with one year of experience, and $50,000 with over 20 years of experience.

Here are some of the various educational programs available for future caterers: (Programs vary according to geographical location)

• Catering courses and seminars
• Hospitality and catering apprenticeship
• Catering certificates
• Catering and gourmet cooking diploma
• Professional catering associate’s degree
• Catering technology bachelor’s degree

Pastry Chef

Pastry chefs are known for fulfilling a specific role in a kitchen, and usually have some form of training or education. Most educational programs combine baking and pastry arts because the responsibilities are very similar. Pastry chefs could earn $20,000 a year with one year of experience, or $60,000 a year with over 20 years of experience.

Here are some of the various educational programs available for future pastry chefs: (Programs vary according to geographical location)

• Pastry arts courses and seminars
• Pastry arts apprenticeships
• Pastry culinarian certificate
• Executive pastry certificate
• Master pastry certificate
• Pastry arts diploma
• Baking and pastry associate’s degree
• International baking and pastry diploma
• Baking and pastry arts bachelor’s degree

Food Stylist

Food stylists can work in the entertainment business, and prepare plates of food for magazine photo shoots and even film sets. Although some form of hands-on experience in plate presentation may be needed, formal training and education is not required. Food stylists can make up to $50,000 a year, however this depends on whether they are doing editorial or advertising work.

Any diploma, certificate, and degree programs dedicated to the culinary arts will be beneficial; however there are programs available which focus specifically on food styling:

• Food styling courses
• Food styling seminars

Wine and Beverage Manager

A job associated with alcohol may sound fun, but it requires a lot of responsibility. Wine and beverage managers must be knowledgeable in all local, national, and international liquor laws, and almost always have some form of education. A bar manager could earn between $20,000 and $40,000 a year, depending on annual company sales. A hotel manager, on the other hand, could earn between $40,000 and $100,000 a year.

Here are some of the various educational programs available for future wine and beverage managers: (Programs vary according to geographical location)

• Baking and restaurant management diploma
• Food and beverage management diploma
• Food and beverage management certificate
• Wine professional certificate
• Culinary administrator certificate
• Food and drink service apprenticeship
• Food and beverage management associate’s degree
• Hotel and restaurant management associate’s degree

Culinary Teacher or Professor

Teaching at a culinary institute is a great option for professionals who want to share their knowledge and experience. Culinary professors always have at least several years of hands-on experience, along with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. They may even run their own private business, and can design both amateur and professional cooking courses for culinary students. An average culinary professor could earn up to $40,000 a year depending on the size and type of institution and program.

Here are some of the various educational programs available for future wine and beverage managers: (Programs vary according to geographical location)

• Culinary educator certificate

Or any of the following bachelor’s degree programs:

• Culinary arts
• Culinary arts management
• Baking and pastry arts
• Baking and pastry arts management
• Food service management
• Hospitality management
• Restaurant management
• Wine and beverage management