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Job outlook for culinary interns in the United States
Culinary internship job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected culinary internship job growth rate is 16% from 2018-2028.
About 419,300 new jobs for culinary interns are projected over the next decade.
Culinary internship salaries have increased 19% for culinary interns in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,578 culinary interns currently employed in the United States.
There are 93,844 active culinary internship job openings in the US.
The average culinary internship salary is $31,368.
Are culinary internship jobs in demand?
Culinary internship job and salary trends over time
Culinary internship jobs over time
Culinary internship job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,578 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,326 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,202 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,019 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,826 | 0.00% |
Average culinary internship salary over time
Culinary internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $31,368 | $15.08 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $30,268 | $14.55 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $28,896 | $13.89 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $27,425 | $13.19 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $26,293 | $12.64 | +4.5% |
Culinary internship jobs by state
Most common states for culinary interns
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 387 | 6% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 354 | 6% |
| 3 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 1,466 | 5% |
| 4 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 467 | 5% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 279 | 5% |
| 6 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 239 | 5% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 193 | 5% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 165 | 5% |
| 9 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 94 | 5% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 546 | 4% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 521 | 4% |
| 12 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 245 | 4% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 159 | 4% |
| 14 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 132 | 4% |
| 15 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 113 | 4% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 72 | 4% |
| 17 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 65 | 4% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 55 | 4% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 46 | 4% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 22 | 4% |
Most common cities for culinary interns
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springville | 2 | 6% | $30,555 |
| 2 | Auburn | 1 | 2% | $26,457 |
| 3 | Burnsville | 1 | 2% | $36,189 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $26,689 |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu | 2 | 1% | $43,411 |
| 6 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $39,430 |
| 7 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $36,865 |
| 8 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $31,526 |
| 9 | Indianapolis | 2 | 0% | $31,778 |
| 10 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $26,699 |
| 11 | Buffalo | 1 | 0% | $35,283 |
| 12 | Columbus | 1 | 0% | $30,938 |
Culinary Internship job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of culinary internship experts
University of Alaska Anchorage
Edmonds Community College
University of New Mexico - Taos
Reynolds Community College
Kellie Puff
Department Chair/Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Alaska Anchorage
Culinary Arts & Hospitality Administration
What soft skills should all Culinary Interns possess?
Kellie Puff: The most important soft skills, in my opinion, are being able to communicate effectively and professionally, being able to problem-solve, and time management.
What Culinary Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stacey Schwartz: If a student needs to take a gap year, a good way to spend it would be immersing themselves in culinary literature and information, familiarizing themselves with the basics, eating diverse foods, and exploring unique ingredients. This would be a wonderful way to start!
Karla Nardi
Program CoordinatorUniversity of New Mexico - Taos
Department of Culinary Arts
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Culinary Internship job market given the pandemic?
Karla Nardi: Of course, the latest trends are to amp up the take out and delivery mode for restaurants in the current situation. Ordering on-line is great for both customers and restaurants. Restaurant operations that do not have a take out or delivery mode (or both ) will find it challenging to stay in business with the limited number of tables they are allowed. Take out containers, therefore, will become an important statement.
I think more thought will be put into boxes so that the food quality does not deteriorate. Dressing up the take out containers will serve as an advertising tool, as well. Outdoor dining has been incredibly helpful but will not help during the colder months. Paying more attention to outdoor seating areas, I believe, will continue even after the pandemic passes.
Another area that we could see an increase in demand is the field of Personal Chefs. As families struggle with rearranging their time, having a personal chef do the shopping, and cooking could become very attractive.
Dave Quisenberry
Culinary Arts InstructorReynolds Community College
The Kitchens at Reynolds
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Culinary Interns to find work opportunities?
Dave Quisenberry: While COVID-19 has most of the industry being restricted, one way or another, some sectors have been less affected. Healthcare and Corporate entities have maintained consistent; however, diminished labor needs. Graduates will be forced to consider options such as relocation and redirection of career pathways in the post-pandemic environment. That said, we have seen an unfortunate acceleration of business failures due to the economic impact of COVID-19. The post-pandemic environment will undoubtedly provide opportunities to fill voids in local markets as well as emerging markets, such as home meal replacement, etc. The need for trained professionals will have a much greater demand for emphasis on an understanding of total operational knowledge.