Chefs and Head Cooks

Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.

What a Chefs and Head Cooks does

You plan menus, oversee kitchen staff, and prepare high-quality dishes in restaurants, hotels, or other food service settings. Your creativity and leadership shape the dining experience and maintain food safety standards.

Education & path

The typical entry point is a associate degree. About 2 years.

Estimated cost of that path: ~$7,500. Estimated payback: ~1 year. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.

Related careers

• Fast Food and Counter Workers — $31,200/yr
• Baristas — $31,200/yr
• Waiters and Waitresses — $35,230/yr
• Cooks, Restaurant — $37,390/yr
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $44,080/yr