Cooking chef demographics and statistics in the US
Cooking chef demographics research summary. Zippia estimates cooking chef demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our cooking chef estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about cooking chefs after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 39,638 cooking chefs currently employed in the United States.
- 23.7% of all cooking chefs are women, while 76.3% are men.
- The average cooking chef age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of cooking chefs is White (53.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.9%), Asian (12.0%) and Black or African American (10.6%).
- Cooking chefs are most in-demand in Saint Paul, MN.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for cooking chefs.
- 9% of all cooking chefs are LGBT.
On this page
Cooking chef demographics by:
Cooking chef gender statistics
23.7% of cooking chefs are women and 76.3% of cooking chefs are men.
- Male, 76.3%
- Female, 23.7%
Cooking chef gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.3% |
| Female | 23.7% |
Cooking chef gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,805
Female income
$33,041
Cooking chef gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cooking chef positions over time. Currently, 23.7% of cooking chefs are female.
Cooking chef gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.21% | 20.79% |
| 2011 | 79.78% | 20.22% |
| 2012 | 79.91% | 20.09% |
| 2013 | 80.07% | 19.93% |
| 2014 | 78.10% | 21.90% |
| 2015 | 79.89% | 20.11% |
| 2016 | 78.32% | 21.68% |
| 2017 | 78.74% | 21.26% |
| 2018 | 77.54% | 22.46% |
| 2019 | 78.73% | 21.27% |
| 2020 | 76.86% | 23.14% |
| 2021 | 76.31% | 23.69% |
Cooking chef related jobs gender ratio
We compared cooking chefs 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% |
| Cooking Chef | 76% | 24% |
| 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%
Cooking chef demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cooking chefs is White, which makes up 53.2% of all cooking chefs. Comparatively, 17.9% of cooking chefs are Hispanic or Latino and 12.0% of cooking chefs are Asian.
- White, 53.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.9%
- Asian, 12.0%
- Black or African American, 10.6%
- Unknown, 5.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Cooking chef race
| Cooking chef race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 53.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.9% |
| Asian | 12.0% |
| Black or African American | 10.6% |
| Unknown | 5.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Cooking chef race and ethnicity over time
See how cooking chef racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cooking chef race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.39% | 12.09% | 9.27% | 15.99% |
| 2011 | 59.55% | 12.67% | 8.65% | 15.68% |
| 2012 | 59.56% | 11.50% | 8.71% | 16.38% |
| 2013 | 60.69% | 11.73% | 8.04% | 15.77% |
| 2014 | 59.34% | 11.33% | 9.13% | 16.43% |
| 2015 | 57.80% | 10.97% | 9.19% | 18.19% |
| 2016 | 59.31% | 10.97% | 8.80% | 16.77% |
| 2017 | 56.24% | 10.54% | 10.71% | 18.62% |
| 2018 | 57.85% | 10.83% | 8.51% | 19.23% |
| 2019 | 57.63% | 10.67% | 9.72% | 18.47% |
| 2020 | 54.47% | 9.93% | 10.07% | 19.20% |
| 2021 | 53.19% | 10.57% | 12.03% | 17.87% |
Cooking chef wage gap by race
According to our data, white cooking chefs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian cooking chefs have the lowest average salary at $34,788.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $35,577 |
| White | $36,803 |
| Black or African American | $36,142 |
| Asian | $34,788 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,745 |
Average cooking chef age
See how the average age of cooking chefs varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Cooking chef 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 |
Cooking chef age breakdown
The average age of cooking chefs is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the cooking chef population.
Cooking chef age breakdown
| Cooking Chef Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Cooking chef educational attainment
The most common degree for cooking chefs is associate degree, with 31% of cooking chefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 30% and high school diploma degree at 19%.
- Associate, 31%
- High School Diploma, 30%
- Bachelor's, 19%
- Diploma, 12%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Cooking chefs by degree level
| Cooking chef degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 31% |
| High School Diploma | 30% |
| Bachelor's | 19% |
| Diploma | 12% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Cooking chef jobs you might like
Cooking chef wage gap by degree level
According to the data, cooking chefs with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $38,053 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, cooking chefs earn a median annual income of $37,574 compared to $34,704 for cooking chefs with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,704 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,574 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,053 |
Cooking chef employment statistics
Most cooking chefs work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where cooking chefs work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cooking chefs work.
Cooking chef jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 9% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 15% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 35% |
Cooking chef jobs by company type
Employees with the cooking chef job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cooking chefs prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Cooking chef jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 25% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 1% |
Cooking chef jobs by industry
The most common industries for cooking chefs are hospitality, health care and retail.
Cooking chef industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 43% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Cooking chef turnover and employment statistics
Cooking chef unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cooking chefs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cooking chef unemployment rate by year
| Year | Cooking chef 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 cooking chef tenure
The average cooking chef stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,184 cooking chefs resumes in Zippia's database.
Cooking chef tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 27% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Cooking chef LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of cooking chefs 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 Service Worker | 6.78% | 169,323 |
| Restaurant Server | 7.02% | 141,250 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.68% | 58,519 |
| Kitchen Assistant Manager | 8.43% | 74,718 |
| Cooking Chef | 8.58% | - |
Similar cooking chef jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Worker | 6.78% | 169,323 |
| Restaurant Server | 7.02% | 141,250 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Set-Up Crew | 7.36% | 65,215 |
| Banquet Bartender | 7.68% | 58,519 |
| Kitchen Assistant Manager | 8.43% | 74,718 |
Foreign languages spoken by cooking chefs
The most common foreign language among cooking chefs is Spanish at 52.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 21.6% and Italian is the third-most popular at 5.9%.
- Spanish, 52.9%
- French, 21.6%
- Italian, 5.9%
- Arabic, 3.9%
- Chinese, 2.0%
- Other, 13.7%
Cooking chef languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 52.9% |
| French | 21.6% |
| Italian | 5.9% |
| Arabic | 3.9% |
| Chinese | 2.0% |
| Other | 13.7% |
