How to hire an Executive Chef

How to hire an executive chef, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive chef hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an executive chef job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive chef
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an Executive Chef do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The executive chef hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect executive chef also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of executive chefs and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Executive Chef	Description	Hourly Rate
   Executive Chef	Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.	$19-41
   Front Of House Manager	A front of house manager coordinates and supervises the front house team. Front of house managers make sure that every client receives a warm welcome... Show More	$12-29
   Chef/Kitchen Manager	A kitchen manager or chef is someone who oversees the overall operations in the kitchen as well as the food operations. Kitchen managers make certain that food and related products are well prepared, cooked, and served to customers... Show More	$16-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Culinary
   • Food Preparation
   • Customer Service
   • Kitchen Operations
   • Food Safety
   • Food Service
   • Menu Development
   • Food Quality
   • Fine Dining
   • Food Handling
   • Patients
   • Quality Standards
   • Cleanliness
   • Wine

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
   • Cater off-premise events, parties, holiday dinners and seasonal BBQ cookouts.
   • Own and operate a full charge BBQ catering business from a 30 foot mobile kitchen.
   • Close high percentage of sales opportunities for large builder and designer accounts with strategic VIP events.
   • Supervise high volume and VIP catering events to include black tie, charity and outdoor events.
   • Create systems to control BOH operations including: purchasing, receiving, storage, inventory & food cost tracking.

   More Executive Chef duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive chef job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An executive chef salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, executive chefs' average salary in wyoming is 58% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive chefs earn 54% less than senior-level executive chefs.
   • Certifications. An executive chef with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an executive chef's salary.

   Average executive chef salary

   $59,416yearly

   $28.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive chef salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2025

   Average executive chef salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$75,757	$36
   2	Massachusetts	$69,553	$33
   3	District of Columbia	$69,347	$33
   4	Nevada	$67,885	$33
   5	Washington	$66,827	$32
   6	Maryland	$64,584	$31
   7	Pennsylvania	$63,722	$31
   8	Illinois	$61,621	$30
   9	New York	$61,084	$29
   10	Virginia	$60,941	$29
   11	Maine	$60,732	$29
   12	Texas	$59,273	$29
   13	Oregon	$59,011	$28
   14	Florida	$57,860	$28
   15	Missouri	$56,844	$27
   16	North Carolina	$56,723	$27
   17	Kansas	$55,235	$27
   18	Georgia	$55,005	$26
   19	Ohio	$54,550	$26
   20	Colorado	$53,645	$26

   Average executive chef salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Bridgewater Associates	$118,651	$57.04
   2	RH	$107,299	$51.59	18
   3	The Osborn	$93,152	$44.78
   4	Neiman Marcus Group	$88,082	$42.35	8
   5	Stanford University	$86,286	$41.48
   6	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$85,811	$41.26
   7	2k	$84,378	$40.57
   8	Club	$83,966	$40.37	2
   9	Sun-Mar	$83,725	$40.25
   10	Norman Regional Health System	$82,594	$39.71	2
   11	Baptist Health Care	$82,484	$39.66	2
   12	Cornell University	$82,419	$39.62	4
   13	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital	$82,159	$39.50	1
   14	P.F. Chang's China Bistro	$82,067	$39.46	41
   15	The Next Level	$80,130	$38.52
   16	GPAC	$79,824	$38.38	51
   17	Memorial Healthcare	$79,024	$37.99
   18	Resorts World Catskills	$78,419	$37.70	4
   19	Tenet Healthcare	$78,327	$37.66	11
   20	J.F. Shea Co	$78,208	$37.60	9

4. Writing an Executive Chef Job Description

   A job description for an executive chef role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an executive chef job description:

   Executive Chef job description example

   Sunrise considers the health and safety of its residents, family members, and team members as its highest priorities. All offers of employment with Sunrise are conditioned on completing and passing a background and drug test, participating in mandatory vaccine programs (e.g., Covid-19), participating in testing requirements (e.g. Covid-19, TB) and using designated PPE when required.

   Sunrise Senior Living offers a comprehensive benefits plan to eligible team members including health, dental, vision, retirement benefits, short-term disability, long-term disability, and paid time off. Team members may also be eligible to receive a bonus based on their position. Some leadership roles are eligible to receive annual bonuses. All team members have the potential to receive spot bonuses and other incentive awards.

   
   Qualifications
   

   Sunrise Senior Living has championed quality of life in senior care for more than 30 years. We believe team members are our greatest resource and are looking for people who share our commitment to provide quality care for seniors and their families. It's no surprise that many of the world's leading experts in Senior Living entrust their career to Sunrise.

   At Sunrise, you will…
   
   Make a Difference Every Day
   We are passionate about our mission — to champion quality of life for all seniors. We deliver high-quality care with a personal touch and encourage our residents to enjoy life to the fullest.

   Be Part of a Uniquely Supportive Community
   The care-focused environment we create for residents extends to our team members. We offer programs, rewards, and benefits to help you live your best.

   Ignite Your Potential
   We believe potential has no limits. We offer best-in-class leadership development programs designed to grow our leaders. We are committed to helping our team members achieve their career goals.

   Sunrise Senior Living was again named as one of the Best Workplaces in Aging Services™ by Fortune and certified as a Great Place to Work® by Activated Insights. This is the 5th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

   Apply today to learn why Sunrise Senior Living is a certified Great Place to Work ®

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right executive chef for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your executive chef job on Zippia to find and recruit executive chef candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit executive chefs, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new executive chef

   Once you've selected the best executive chef candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new executive chef. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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