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Job outlook for corporate executive chefs in the United States
Corporate executive chef job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected corporate executive chef job growth rate is 15% from 2018-2028.
About 23,600 new jobs for corporate executive chefs are projected over the next decade.
Corporate executive chef salaries have increased 24% for corporate executive chefs in the last 5 years.
There are over 33,971 corporate executive chefs currently employed in the United States.
There are 88,029 active corporate executive chef job openings in the US.
The average corporate executive chef salary is $77,701.
Are corporate executive chef jobs in demand?
Corporate executive chef job and salary trends over time
Corporate executive chef jobs over time
Corporate executive chef job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33,971 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 26,559 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 33,547 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 33,654 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 34,395 | 0.01% |
Average corporate executive chef salary over time
Corporate executive chef salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,701 | $37.36 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $75,008 | $36.06 | +6.3% |
| 2023 | $70,539 | $33.91 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | $66,886 | $32.16 | +6.4% |
| 2021 | $62,854 | $30.22 | +4.0% |
Corporate executive chef jobs by state
Most common states for corporate executive chefs
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,273 | 19% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 893 | 16% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 155 | 16% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 98 | 16% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,235 | 15% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,084 | 15% |
| 7 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 469 | 15% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 156 | 15% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 107 | 15% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 103 | 14% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 713 | 13% |
| 12 | Alaska | 739,795 | 99 | 13% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 73 | 13% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,562 | 12% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 832 | 12% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 126 | 12% |
| 17 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,152 | 11% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 412 | 11% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 152 | 11% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 902 | 10% |
Most common cities for corporate executive chefs
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menomonee Falls | 1 | 3% | $68,751 |
| 2 | Davis | 1 | 1% | $89,021 |
| 3 | Overland Park | 1 | 1% | $51,203 |
| 4 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $74,180 |
| 5 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $89,071 |
Corporate Executive Chef job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of corporate executive chef experts
Spokane Community College
Clark College
PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby's Restaurant
University of New Mexico - Taos
Reynolds Community College
Robert Lombardi
Inland Northwest Culinary Academy instructorSpokane Community College
Culinary Arts
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Corporate Executive Chef job market given the pandemic?
Robert Lombardi: Curb-side To Go, Food Trucks, Personal Catering, Family Farming, Farmers Markets. The meeting and convention market is expected to see an increase by 2022.
Aaron Guerra
Tenured Professor of Cuisine Management, Department HeadClark College
McClaskey Culinary Institute
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Corporate Executive Chefs to find work opportunities?
Aaron Guerra: Before covid, it was limitless. I had one student go to the Grand Lodge at Glacier National Park in Montana. She was offered a job but returned to the PNW and landed as Assistant Kitchen Manager at Pok Pok restaurants. I had another do her externship at CNM Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico's entrepreneurial Food Truck program. She is currently working her previous job as a police dispatcher and prepping her food truck. The opening date is not yet set. Here locally, especially the new waterfront in Vancouver and the greater Portland area. One student is working in a restaurant in Texas. I have a student at Twigs, C'est La Vie, Amaro's Table, Rally's Pizza, and one that was at Renata's.
During covid, it has been more challenging. Some are still working. One is at Intel, the ones at Rally, C'est La Vie and Twigs are still working, but some are being extra cautious until this pandemic breaks.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Corporate Executive Chefs in the next 3-5 years?
Patti Stobaugh: Convenience services will continue to grow in importance, i.e., delivery, curbside service, gift service, small caterings for events. Social media has changed so much in the last 3-5 years that I would imagine the social media changes will be huge.
What general advice would you give to a Corporate Executive Chef?
Patti Stobaugh: 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.
Karla Nardi
Program CoordinatorUniversity of New Mexico - Taos
Department of Culinary Arts
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Corporate Executive Chefs in the next 5 years?
Karla Nardi: Even with the pandemic, we still have people calling us for students to work. The restaurant industry is evolving as we speak, and we, as educators, must keep one step ahead. The demand for graduates will increase, and students with specialization in different culinary fields will be in order.
Dave Quisenberry
Culinary Arts InstructorReynolds Community College
The Kitchens at Reynolds
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Corporate Executive Chefs?
Dave Quisenberry: Yes! I think the whole planet, as well as the hospitality industry, will have a lasting impact. As the industry struggles to cope and redefine itself, we are forced to embrace some fundamental principals. The reliance on building partnerships and networking is now more important than ever before. This will help those in the labor pool match skill sets with the need in industry.
COVID-19 has also been disruptive in the traditional foodservice model. No longer can we assume that viable business models are "dine-in" consumer-based primarily. As we practice more and more social distancing, we need to incorporate food outlets such as "to-go" and home meal replacement in existing models. These options will require specific operational guidelines and technical support to achieve success safely and efficiently. These trends have already started being addressed in educational content to better prepare graduates upon entry into the job market.
How do you envision technology impacting Corporate Executive Chefs in the next 5 years?
Dave Quisenberry: As we deal with the impact of COVID-19 in our industry, we are being forced to rely on technology to communicate with each other, as well as our potential customers. Business models that have seen some success in maintaining market share have relied on new and existing web platforms to bring products and services to the market. The demand for knowledge in web design and virtual marketing will increasingly be a strong asset in any candidate's skill set.