Working in the field of Culinary Arts can be a rewarding and satisfying career especially if you like receiving instant gratification. That's because you'll often know how well you are doing as a chef immediately after preparing the dish.
Chefs and cooks usually follow a recipe to prepare and cook all types of foods. They use standard kitchen equipment found in restaurants and other food service establishments. Working as a chef can be a fun career if you're comfortable working in the kitchen and enjoy cooking.
Culinary Arts Education and Training
Those planning to pursue a career in the Culinary arts often attend a formal cooking school. These individuals become chefs in advanced positions and may need to become certified through the American Culinary Federation. However, there are many opportunities for cooks who have not met the typical culinary career requirements. On-the-job training is often provided for those working in fast-food and for food preparation workers.
Salaries according to the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey program - May 2010
Average Chef & Head Cook Salary (Annual in USD)
$40,630
25k
50k
75k
100k
Duties of a Chef:
Chefs and head cooks spend their time coordinating the work of the other kitchen staff. They often act as executive managers. Others spend their time creating dishes and preparing meals. Short-order cooks work to prepare the food by measuring, cooking, and mixing ingredients. Food preparation workers perform routine tasks supervised by chefs and cooks. They get the ingredients ready for cooking by measuring, stiring, and slicing.
Chef Work Environment:
Individuals pursuing a Culinary Arts Career can expect to work in a kitchen setting, spending most of their time standing and bending. Most chef's and head cooks work in restaurants. Short order cooks and those at lower paying positions work in fast-food restaurants and other food service establishments like hospitals and cafeterias.
Turn your passion into a four-star career. At The Art Institutes, you’ll explore traditional, fundamental cooking skills and get hands on training in our student-run restaurants.
