CFChooseField
Food Service

Chefs and Head Cooks

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Chefs and Head Cooks
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Median pay

$60,990
Median annual pay for Chefs and Head Cooks.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

7.1%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

24,400
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

197,300
Estimated U.S. employment for Chefs and Head Cooks in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

+14,000
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

High school diploma or equivalent
Typical additional preparation: 5 years or more of related work experience.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Monitoring
  2. 2Speaking
  3. 3Critical Thinking
  4. 4Active Listening
  5. 5Reading Comprehension
  6. 6Active Learning

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Food Production
  2. 2Production and Processing
  3. 3Customer and Personal Service
  4. 4Personnel and Human Resources
  5. 5Administration and Management
  6. 6Mathematics

Abilities

  1. 1Oral Expression
  2. 2Problem Sensitivity
  3. 3Information Ordering
  4. 4Oral Comprehension
  5. 5Deductive Reasoning
  6. 6Speech Clarity

Career interests

  1. 1Enterprising
  2. 2Realistic
  3. 3Conventional
  4. 4Social
  5. 5Artistic
  6. 6Investigative

Work styles

  1. 1Dependability
  2. 2Leadership Orientation
  3. 3Attention to Detail
  4. 4Stress Tolerance
  5. 5Innovation
  6. 6Achievement Orientation

Work activities

  1. 1Training and Teaching Others
  2. 2Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
  3. 3Developing and Building Teams
  4. 4Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  5. 5Coaching and Developing Others
  6. 6Getting Information

Work context

  1. 1E-Mail
  2. 2Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  3. 3Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  4. 4Time Pressure
  5. 5Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  6. 6Spend Time Standing

Representative tasks

  • Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
  • Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
  • Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
  • Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
  • Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
  • Check the quantity and quality of received products.
  • Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
  • Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.

Software and tools

Microsoft Outlook · in demandMicrosoft Office software · in demandMicrosoft Excel · in demandGoogle Sheets · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologyMicrosoft PowerPoint · hot technologyFacebook · hot technologyReServe InteractiveNutrition analysis softwareMenu planning softwareIPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu SoftwareGroupMe

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.