How To Become A Culinary Arts Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a culinary arts instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Patti Stobaugh

A culinary arts instructor develops lessons and holds classes to help prepare chefs for careers in the foodservice industry. He/she implements a culinary arts curriculum designed to help students gain hands-on experience in the culinary field. They ensure that the lessons are meaningful and align with the industry needs and trends.

Culinary arts instructors usually work at private schools, public schools, vocational schools, culinary arts institutes, community colleges, and universities. Essential skills that they must have includes good verbal and written communication skills, time management, attention to detail, and organization skills. They should also have an innate passion for teaching and culinary arts.

A culinary arts instructor's work schedule depends on their place of work. It also depends on the institution's lesson plan. They usually work 40 hours a week but may be called upon to work extra hours or over the weekends.

What general advice would you give to a culinary arts instructor?

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.

ScoreCulinary Arts InstructorUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,296

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.9

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.35%

Black or African American 6.98%

Hispanic or Latino 9.96%

Unknown 4.91%

White 66.53%

Gender

female 39.27%

male 60.73%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a culinary arts instructor

Explore culinary arts instructor education requirements

Most common culinary arts instructor degrees

Associate

41.4 %

Bachelor's

40.0 %

Master's

7.0 %

Start to develop specific culinary arts instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Culinary	39.86%
Customer Service	13.73%
Kids	13.53%
ServSafe	4.26%
Classroom Management	4.23%

Complete relevant culinary arts instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New culinary arts instructors 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 culinary arts instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real culinary arts instructor resumes.

Gain additional culinary arts instructor certifications

Culinary arts instructor 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 culinary arts instructor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for culinary arts instructors include ServSafe Alcohol and ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification.

More About Certifications

Research culinary arts instructor duties and responsibilities

Manage student-run restaurant serving faculty, complying w/ local health codes & HACCP plan!
Provide instruction for individuals wanting to attain certification in ServSafe food handling.
Instruct students in basic sanitation and HACCP principals.
Create the syllabus, purchase food, and teach classroom and kitchen base lessons.

Prepare your culinary arts instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your culinary arts instructor 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 culinary arts instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable culinary arts instructor resume templates

Build a professional culinary arts instructor 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 culinary arts instructor resume.