Chef/catering demographics and statistics in the US
Chef/catering demographics research summary. Zippia estimates chef/catering demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our chef/catering estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about chef/caterings after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 94,963 chef/caterings currently employed in the United States.
- 28.4% of all chef/caterings are women, while 71.6% are men.
- The average chef/catering age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of chef/caterings is White (56.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.4%), Black or African American (10.9%) and Asian (10.6%).
- Chef/caterings are most in-demand in Cambridge, MA.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for chef/caterings.
- 9% of all chef/caterings are LGBT.
On this page
Chef/catering demographics by:
Chef/catering gender statistics
28.4% of chef/caterings are women and 71.6% of chef/caterings are men.
- Male, 71.6%
- Female, 28.4%
Chef/catering gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 71.6% |
| Female | 28.4% |
Chef/catering gender pay gap
Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$49,587
Female income
$43,408
Chef/catering gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in chef/catering positions over time. Currently, 28.4% of chef/caterings are female.
Chef/catering gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.88% | 25.12% |
| 2011 | 75.54% | 24.46% |
| 2012 | 75.69% | 24.31% |
| 2013 | 75.87% | 24.13% |
| 2014 | 73.62% | 26.38% |
| 2015 | 75.67% | 24.33% |
| 2016 | 73.86% | 26.14% |
| 2017 | 74.35% | 25.65% |
| 2018 | 72.98% | 27.02% |
| 2019 | 74.33% | 25.67% |
| 2020 | 72.22% | 27.78% |
| 2021 | 71.59% | 28.41% |
Chef/catering related jobs gender ratio
We compared chef/caterings with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corporate executive chef and chef de cuisine have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Lunchroom Monitor | 5% | 95% |
| Waiter/Waitress, Captain | 13% | 87% |
| Lunchroom Supervisor | 13% | 87% |
| Chef/Catering | 72% | 28% |
| Executive Chef | 88% | 12% |
| Chef De Cuisine | 90% | 10% |
| Corporate Executive Chef | 91% | 9% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Chef/catering demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among chef/caterings is White, which makes up 56.2% of all chef/caterings. Comparatively, 16.4% of chef/caterings are Hispanic or Latino and 10.9% of chef/caterings are Black or African American.
- White, 56.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.4%
- Black or African American, 10.9%
- Asian, 10.6%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Chef/catering race
| Chef/catering race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.4% |
| Black or African American | 10.9% |
| Asian | 10.6% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Chef/catering race and ethnicity over time
See how chef/catering racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Chef/catering race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.40% | 12.46% | 7.83% | 14.51% |
| 2011 | 62.56% | 13.03% | 7.21% | 14.20% |
| 2012 | 62.57% | 11.87% | 7.26% | 14.90% |
| 2013 | 63.70% | 12.10% | 6.60% | 14.29% |
| 2014 | 62.35% | 11.69% | 7.68% | 14.95% |
| 2015 | 60.81% | 11.34% | 7.74% | 16.71% |
| 2016 | 62.32% | 11.34% | 7.36% | 15.29% |
| 2017 | 59.25% | 10.91% | 9.27% | 17.14% |
| 2018 | 60.86% | 11.20% | 7.07% | 17.75% |
| 2019 | 60.64% | 11.03% | 8.28% | 16.99% |
| 2020 | 57.48% | 10.30% | 8.63% | 17.73% |
| 2021 | 56.20% | 10.94% | 10.59% | 16.39% |
Chef/catering wage gap by race
According to our data, white chef/caterings have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian chef/caterings have the lowest average salary at $47,275.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $49,066 |
| White | $51,898 |
| Black or African American | $50,363 |
| Asian | $47,275 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $49,451 |
Average chef/catering age
See how the average age of chef/caterings varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Chef/catering age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 46.5 |
| Unknown | 38 | 36.5 |
| Asian | 44 | 49 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 43 |
| White | 40 | 41 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 40 |
Chef/catering age breakdown
The average age of chef/caterings is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the chef/catering population.
Chef/catering age breakdown
| Chef/Catering Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Chef/catering educational attainment
The most common degree for chef/caterings is associate degree, with 50% of chef/caterings earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 9%.
- Associate, 50%
- Bachelor's, 29%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Chef/caterings by degree level
| Chef/catering degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 50% |
| Bachelor's | 29% |
| High School Diploma | 9% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Chef/catering jobs you might like
Chef/catering wage gap by degree level
According to the data, chef/caterings with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $54,852 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, chef/caterings earn a median annual income of $53,713 compared to $47,086 for chef/caterings with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,086 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,713 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,852 |
Chef/catering employment statistics
Most chef/caterings work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where chef/caterings work
Below, you can see the size of companies where chef/caterings work.
Chef/catering jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 18% |
Chef/catering jobs by company type
Employees with the chef/catering job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most chef/caterings prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Chef/catering jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 14% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 71% |
| Government | 2% |
Chef/catering jobs by industry
The most common industries for chef/caterings are hospitality, education and retail.
Chef/catering industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 28% |
| Education | 12% |
| Retail | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Media | 5% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Chef/catering turnover and employment statistics
Chef/catering unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for chef/caterings between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chef/catering unemployment rate by year
| Year | Chef/catering unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.68% |
| 2011 | 10.91% |
| 2012 | 6.88% |
| 2013 | 7.77% |
| 2014 | 5.16% |
| 2015 | 5.14% |
| 2016 | 4.13% |
| 2017 | 3.91% |
| 2018 | 3.66% |
| 2019 | 3.42% |
| 2020 | 10.00% |
| 2021 | 11.33% |
Average chef/catering tenure
The average chef/catering stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,421 chef/caterings resumes in Zippia's database.
Chef/catering tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Chef/catering LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of chef/caterings that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Preparation Worker | 6.78% | 65,654 |
| Caterer/Server | 7.02% | 105,138 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Fast Food Cashier | 7.36% | 249,916 |
| Head Bartender | 7.68% | 34,561 |
| Yeast Supervisor | 8.43% | 5,497 |
| Chef/Catering | 8.58% | - |
Similar chef/catering jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Preparation Worker | 6.78% | 65,654 |
| Caterer/Server | 7.02% | 105,138 |
| Party Hostess | 7.29% | 9,255 |
| Fast Food Cashier | 7.36% | 249,916 |
| Head Bartender | 7.68% | 34,561 |
| Yeast Supervisor | 8.43% | 5,497 |
Foreign languages spoken by chef/caterings
The most common foreign language among chef/caterings is Spanish at 32.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 19.2% and Italian is the third-most popular at 12.1%.
- Spanish, 32.3%
- French, 19.2%
- Italian, 12.1%
- Japanese, 5.1%
- Chinese, 4.0%
- Other, 27.3%
Chef/catering languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 32.3% |
| French | 19.2% |
| Italian | 12.1% |
| Japanese | 5.1% |
| Chinese | 4.0% |
| Other | 27.3% |
