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Job outlook for culinary specialists in the United States
Culinary specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected culinary specialist job growth rate is 15% from 2018-2028.
About 23,600 new jobs for culinary specialists are projected over the next decade.
Culinary specialist salaries have increased 10% for culinary specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 12,637 culinary specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 41,696 active culinary specialist job openings in the US.
The average culinary specialist salary is $37,641.
Are culinary specialist jobs in demand?
Culinary specialist job and salary trends over time
Culinary specialist jobs over time
Culinary specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,637 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 10,827 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,279 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 11,712 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 11,263 | 0.00% |
Average culinary specialist salary over time
Culinary specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,641 | $18.10 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $36,367 | $17.48 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $35,333 | $16.99 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $34,799 | $16.73 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $34,276 | $16.48 | +3.8% |
Culinary specialist jobs by state
Most common states for culinary specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 68 | 10% |
| 2 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 67 | 9% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 262 | 8% |
| 4 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 87 | 8% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 47 | 8% |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 135 | 7% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 58 | 7% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 50 | 7% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 42 | 7% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 381 | 6% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 354 | 6% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 87 | 6% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 487 | 5% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 432 | 5% |
| 16 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 317 | 5% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 286 | 5% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 163 | 5% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 85 | 5% |
| 20 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 68 | 5% |
Most common cities for culinary specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | 2 | 4% | $38,801 |
| 2 | Bonita Springs | 1 | 2% | $36,892 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 2 | 1% | $36,312 |
| 4 | Dayton | 2 | 1% | $36,990 |
| 5 | Saint Louis | 2 | 1% | $31,803 |
| 6 | Allen | 1 | 1% | $35,981 |
| 7 | Beaumont | 1 | 1% | $36,011 |
| 8 | Columbus | 3 | 0% | $37,691 |
| 9 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $39,119 |
| 10 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $41,786 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $42,938 |
| 12 | Albuquerque | 1 | 0% | $30,764 |
| 13 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $36,232 |
| 14 | Bakersfield | 1 | 0% | $43,531 |
Culinary Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of culinary specialist experts
Spokane Community College
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 Culinary Specialist 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.
Karla Nardi
Program CoordinatorUniversity of New Mexico - Taos
Department of Culinary Arts
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Culinary Specialists 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 Culinary Specialists?
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 Culinary Specialists 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.