Food Service · Career brief

Chefs and Head Cooks

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Chefs and Head Cooks at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$62,470

Middle-of-the-pack pay

2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

6.6%

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Top quarter for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

25,200

Lots of annual openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Top quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

High school

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Persuasive / leading

Influence, decisions, and results matter

Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The strongest national signals are growth and opening volume; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if persuasive or leadership-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Cooks, Private Household Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Chefs and Head Cooks with another field Explore rankings in Food Service Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$62,470

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

6.6%employment growth25,200openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

220,300

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Chefs and head cooks (35-1011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.
Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.
Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Training and Teaching Others4.1
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.1
Developing and Building Teams4.0
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.9
Coaching and Developing Others3.9

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Enterprising5.1
Realistic4.8
Conventional4.4
Social3.0
Artistic2.7
Investigative1.7

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Food Production Production and Processing Personnel and Human Resources Mathematics

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Prepare the same item more than once under a time and cost limit, then improve consistency using another person's feedback.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Chefs and head cooks nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

Prior related experience: 5 years or more. Look for the preceding roles and promotion route before treating this as a first job.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options