Culinary chef demographics and statistics in the US
Culinary chef demographics research summary. Zippia estimates culinary chef demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our culinary 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 culinary chefs after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 59,207 culinary chefs currently employed in the United States.
- 36.1% of all culinary chefs are women, while 63.9% are men.
- The average culinary chef age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of culinary chefs is White (54.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.3%), Asian (11.3%) and Black or African American (11.0%).
- In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
- 9% of all culinary chefs are LGBT.
- Culinary chefs are 60% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Culinary chef demographics by:
Culinary chef gender statistics
36.1% of culinary chefs are women and 63.9% of culinary chefs are men.
- Male, 63.9%
- Female, 36.1%
Culinary chef gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 63.9% |
| Female | 36.1% |
Culinary chef gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$50,651
Female income
$46,559
Culinary chef gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in culinary chef positions over time. Currently, 36.1% of culinary chefs are female.
Culinary chef gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.69% | 32.31% |
| 2011 | 68.45% | 31.55% |
| 2012 | 68.62% | 31.38% |
| 2013 | 68.84% | 31.16% |
| 2014 | 66.22% | 33.78% |
| 2015 | 68.60% | 31.40% |
| 2016 | 66.50% | 33.50% |
| 2017 | 67.06% | 32.94% |
| 2018 | 65.49% | 34.51% |
| 2019 | 67.04% | 32.96% |
| 2020 | 64.62% | 35.38% |
| 2021 | 63.90% | 36.10% |
Culinary chef related jobs gender ratio
We compared culinary 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% |
| Culinary Chef | 64% | 36% |
| 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%
Culinary chef demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among culinary chefs is White, which makes up 54.6% of all culinary chefs. Comparatively, 17.3% of culinary chefs are Hispanic or Latino and 11.3% of culinary chefs are Asian.
- White, 54.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.3%
- Asian, 11.3%
- Black or African American, 11.0%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Culinary chef race
| Culinary chef race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.3% |
| Asian | 11.3% |
| Black or African American | 11.0% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Culinary chef race and ethnicity over time
See how culinary chef racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Culinary chef race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.78% | 12.52% | 8.52% | 15.45% |
| 2011 | 60.93% | 13.09% | 7.90% | 15.15% |
| 2012 | 60.94% | 11.93% | 7.95% | 15.85% |
| 2013 | 62.07% | 12.16% | 7.29% | 15.24% |
| 2014 | 60.72% | 11.75% | 8.37% | 15.90% |
| 2015 | 59.18% | 11.40% | 8.43% | 17.66% |
| 2016 | 60.69% | 11.40% | 8.05% | 16.23% |
| 2017 | 57.62% | 10.97% | 9.96% | 18.08% |
| 2018 | 59.23% | 11.26% | 7.76% | 18.69% |
| 2019 | 59.01% | 11.10% | 8.97% | 17.94% |
| 2020 | 55.85% | 10.36% | 9.32% | 18.67% |
| 2021 | 54.57% | 11.00% | 11.28% | 17.33% |
Culinary chef wage gap by race
According to our data, white culinary chefs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian culinary chefs have the lowest average salary at $49,143.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $50,313 |
| White | $52,132 |
| Black or African American | $51,151 |
| Asian | $49,143 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $50,562 |
Average culinary chef age
See how the average age of culinary chefs varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Culinary 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 |
Culinary chef age breakdown
The average age of culinary chefs is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the culinary chef population.
Culinary chef age breakdown
| Culinary Chef Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Culinary chef educational attainment
The most common degree for culinary chefs is associate degree, with 46% of culinary chefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 30% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
- Associate, 46%
- Bachelor's, 30%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Culinary chefs by degree level
| Culinary chef degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 46% |
| Bachelor's | 30% |
| High School Diploma | 12% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Culinary chef jobs you might like
Culinary chef wage gap by degree level
According to the data, culinary chefs with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $53,991 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, culinary chefs earn a median annual income of $53,279 compared to $49,018 for culinary chefs with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,018 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,279 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,991 |
Culinary chef employment statistics
Most culinary chefs work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where culinary chefs work
Below, you can see the size of companies where culinary chefs work.
Culinary chef jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 22% |
Culinary chef jobs by company type
Employees with the culinary chef job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most culinary chefs prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Culinary chef jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 17% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 60% |
| Government | 4% |
Culinary chef jobs by industry
The most common industries for culinary chefs are hospitality, education and retail.
Culinary chef industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 30% |
| Education | 15% |
| Retail | 9% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Culinary chef turnover and employment statistics
Culinary chef unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for culinary chefs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Culinary chef unemployment rate by year
| Year | Culinary 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 culinary chef tenure
The average culinary chef stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 467 culinary chefs resumes in Zippia's database.
Culinary chef tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Culinary chef LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of culinary 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bakery Clerk | 6.78% | 67,778 |
| Head Server | 7.02% | 64,405 |
| Hostess | 7.29% | 82,629 |
| Salad Bar Attendant | 7.36% | 48,659 |
| Bartender Server | 7.68% | 106,784 |
| Assistant Manager/Barista | 8.43% | 50,789 |
| Culinary Chef | 8.58% | - |
Similar culinary chef jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Bakery Clerk | 6.78% | 67,778 |
| Head Server | 7.02% | 64,405 |
| Hostess | 7.29% | 82,629 |
| Salad Bar Attendant | 7.36% | 48,659 |
| Bartender Server | 7.68% | 106,784 |
| Assistant Manager/Barista | 8.43% | 50,789 |
Foreign languages spoken by culinary chefs
The most common foreign language among culinary chefs is Spanish at 61.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Tagalog at 11.1% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 61.1%
- Tagalog, 11.1%
- Portuguese, 5.6%
- Filipino, 5.6%
- French, 5.6%
- Other, 11.0%
Culinary chef languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 61.1% |
| Tagalog | 11.1% |
| Portuguese | 5.6% |
| Filipino | 5.6% |
| French | 5.6% |
| Other | 11.0% |
