How To Become A Chef Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chef manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Patti Stobaugh

Chef managers are the head of the kitchen in restaurants, hotels, and other establishments where chefs prepare food. They are the first in command, and often, their roles are as administrative as they are culinary. The chef manager is responsible for all the food that leaves the kitchen, including quality and aesthetics.

They oversee the food preparation, manage kitchen staff, prepare budgets, and supervise ingredient procurement. They also ensure that the kitchen is up to health codes and safety standards at all times. In some establishments, chef managers may also be responsible for recruiting and firing chefs in their kitchens.

To become a chef manager, you'll need training in the culinary arts. Attending a technical school and getting a diploma is a great place to start. You'll also need lots of experience in the kitchen. Some employers may also insist on internship experience when hiring chef managers.

What general advice would you give to a chef manager?

Patti Stobaugh

Owner, PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby's Restaurant

Being humble and willing to learn will take you far in your career, not just in the beginning. If you have the desire to open your own food service business, go to work for a business that has a great reputation. That will give you the opportunity to learn so much.

ScoreChef ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,470

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.2

Growth rate 15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.74%

Asian 10.37%

Black or African American 10.38%

Hispanic or Latino 15.90%

Unknown 5.34%

White 57.28%

Gender

female 22.46%

male 77.54%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

0.2

Work life balance is

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chef manager

Explore chef manager education requirements

Most common chef manager degrees

Associate

48.8 %

Bachelor's

28.5 %

High School Diploma

10.5 %

Start to develop specific chef manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Culinary	18.61%
Fine Dining	14.08%
Customer Service	8.11%
ServSafe	7.73%
Quality Standards	7.53%

Complete relevant chef manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chef managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chef manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chef manager resumes.

Gain additional chef manager certifications

Chef manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chef manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chef managers include ServSafe Alcohol and Certified Food Manager (CFM).

More About Certifications

Research chef manager duties and responsibilities

Manage day to day operation and supervise the staff FOH & BOH.
Manage the daily activities and schedules of the other cooks, dishwashers, and prep support.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
Supervise and train all.associates in food preparation, HACCP in-service training and sanitation and safety procedures.

Prepare your chef manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chef manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chef manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable chef manager resume templates

Build a professional chef manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chef manager resume.

Apply for chef manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a chef manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do chef managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Chef manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

Design & creating food making customer happy cooking every area as line, prep, steam, broil, grill, creating comfort food desserts and catering. Ordering and managing a kitchen

Cons

Nothing to complain about love being a chef

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019