The annual salary for chefs can vary widely depending on the chef’s level of experience and the geographic location of the position. In general, however, it is reasonable to assume that a chef will earn between $30,000 and $80,000 per year.
Chefs who are at the top of their game may earn significantly more than this range. Some chefs may also receive bonuses or other incentive-based compensation that could push their salaries even higher.
The annual salary for chefs varies widely. In 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median annual salary for chefs was $42,180. The lowest 10% earned less than $25,110 and the highest 10% earned more than $67,580.
Chef salaries are generally higher in cities with a large number of restaurants or high-end restaurants. However, the cost of living is also higher in these cities which may offset some of the salary difference.
Annual Salary For Chefs
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word “chef” is derived from the term chef de cuisine (French pronunciation: [ʃɛf.də.kɥi.zin]), the director or head of a kitchen. Chefs can receive formal training from an institution, as well as by apprenticing with an experienced chef.
There are different terms that use the word chef in their titles, and deal with specific areas of food preparation. Examples include the sous-chef, who acts as the second-in-command in a kitchen, and the chef de partie, who handles a specific area of production. The kitchen brigade system is a hierarchy found in restaurants and hotels employing extensive staff, many of which use the word “chef” in their titles. Underneath the chefs are the kitchen assistants. A chef’s standard uniform includes a hat (called a toque), neckerchief, double-breasted jacket, apron and sturdy shoes (that may include steel or plastic toe-caps).
Contents
- 1Etymology
- 2Titles
- 3Kitchen assistant
- 4Culinary education
- 5Uniform
- 6See also
- 7Notes
- 8References
- 9External links
Etymology[edit]
The word “chef” is derived (and shortened) from the term chef de cuisine (French pronunciation: [ʃɛf.də.kɥi.zin]), the director or head of a kitchen. (The French word comes from Latin caput (head) and is cognate with English “chief”). In English, the title “chef” in the culinary profession originated in the haute cuisine of the 19th century. The culinary arts, among other aspects of the French language introduced French loan-words into the English language.[1]
Ugandan chef at a large hotel
Chef preparing naan to be cooked in a tandoor
Various titles, detailed below, are given to those working in a professional kitchen and each can be considered a title for a type of chef. Many of the titles are based on the brigade de cuisine (or brigade system) documented by Auguste Escoffier, while others have a more general meaning depending on the individual kitchen.
Chef de cuisine
Main article: Chef de cuisine
Other names include executive chef, chef manager, head chef, and master chef. This person is in charge of all activities related to the kitchen, which usually includes menu creation, management of kitchen staff, ordering and purchasing of inventory, controlling raw material costs and plating design. Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term from which the English word chef is derived.[2] Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef, but there is usually someone in charge of a head chef, possibly making the larger executive decisions such as direction of menu, final authority in staff management decisions, and so on.[3] This is often the case for executive chefs with multiple restaurants. Involved in checking the sensory evaluation of dishes after preparation and they are well aware of each sensory property of those specific dishes.
In the UK, the title executive chef normally applies to hotels with multi outlets in the same hotel. Other establishments in the UK tend to use the title head chef.
Sous-chef[edit]
Main article: Sous-chef
The sous-chef de cuisine (under-chef of the kitchen) is the second-in-command and direct assistant of the chef de cuisine or head chef. This person may be responsible for scheduling the kitchen staff, or substituting when the head chef is absent. Also, he or she will fill in for or assist a chef de partie (line cook) when needed. This person is accountable for the kitchen’s inventory, cleanliness, organization, and the continuing training of its entire staff. A sous-chef’s duties can also include carrying out the head chef’s directives, conducting line checks, and overseeing the timely rotation of all food products. Smaller operations may not have a sous-chef, while larger operations may have more than one.[4]
Chef de partie[edit]
Main article: Chef de partie
A chef de partie, also known as a “station chef” or “line cook”,[5] is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each chef de partie might have several cooks or assistants. In most kitchens, however, the chef de partie is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with “first cook”, then “second cook”, and so on as needed.
Commis (chef) / Range chef [edit]
A commis is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the station’s or range’s responsibilities and operation.[6] This may be a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is still undergoing training.
Brigade system titles[edit]
Main article: Brigade de cuisine
Station-chef titles which are part of the brigade system include:[7]
| English | French | IPA | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauté chef | saucier | [sosje] | Sautéed items and their sauce. (The highest position of the stations.) |
| Fish chef | poissonnier | [pwasɔnje] | Fish dishes, and often fish butchering, and their sauces. (May be combined with the saucier position.) |
| Roast chef | rôtisseur | [ʁotisœʁ] | Roasted and braised meats, and their sauces. |
| Grill chef | grillardin | [ɡʁijaʁdɛ̃] | Grilled foods. (May be combined with the rotisseur.) |
| Fry chef | friturier | [fʁityʁje] | Fried items. (May be combined with the rotisseur.) |
| Entrée preparer | entremétier | [ɑ̃tʁəmetje] | Hot appetizers and often the soups, vegetables, pastas and starches. (This station may cover tasks by the potager and légumier.) |
| Soup chef | potager | [pɔtaʒe] | Soups. (May be handled by the entremétier.) |
| Vegetable chef | légumier | [legymje] | Vegetables. (May be handled by the entremétier.) |
| Roundsman | tournant | [tuʁnɑ̃] | Fills in as needed on stations in the kitchen, a.k.a. the swing cook. |
| Pantry chef | garde manger | [ɡaʁd mɑ̃ʒe] | Cold foods: salads, cold appetizers, pâtés and other charcuterie items. |
| Butcher | boucher | [buʃe] | Butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes fish and breading. |
| Pastry chef | pâtissier | [patisje] | Baked goods and plated desserts, including pastries, cakes, and breads. May manage a separate team and department. |
