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Job outlook for kitchen chefs in the United States
Kitchen chef job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected kitchen chef job growth rate is 15% from 2018-2028.
About 23,600 new jobs for kitchen chefs are projected over the next decade.
Kitchen chef salaries have increased 24% for kitchen chefs in the last 5 years.
There are over 58,864 kitchen chefs currently employed in the United States.
There are 33,785 active kitchen chef job openings in the US.
The average kitchen chef salary is $37,579.
Are kitchen chef jobs in demand?
Kitchen chef job and salary trends over time
Kitchen chef jobs over time
Kitchen chef job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58,864 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 46,022 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 58,129 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 58,315 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 59,599 | 0.02% |
Average kitchen chef salary over time
Kitchen chef salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $37,579 | $18.07 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $36,276 | $17.44 | +6.3% |
| 2024 | $34,115 | $16.40 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | $32,348 | $15.55 | +6.4% |
| 2022 | $30,398 | $14.61 | +4.0% |
Kitchen chef jobs by state
Most common states for kitchen chefs
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 70 | 10% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 67 | 9% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 93 | 7% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 414 | 6% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 64 | 6% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 37 | 6% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 470 | 5% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 383 | 5% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 318 | 5% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 291 | 5% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 254 | 5% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 156 | 5% |
| 13 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 828 | 4% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 462 | 4% |
| 15 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 414 | 4% |
| 16 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 371 | 4% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 143 | 4% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 106 | 4% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 51 | 4% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 38 | 4% |
Most common cities for kitchen chefs
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redmond | 2 | 3% | $44,171 |
| 2 | Pinellas Park | 1 | 2% | $38,307 |
| 3 | Sammamish | 1 | 2% | $44,150 |
| 4 | Fort Collins | 2 | 1% | $38,504 |
| 5 | Henderson | 2 | 1% | $43,759 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $51,637 |
| 7 | Carson | 1 | 1% | $47,301 |
| 8 | Greeley | 1 | 1% | $38,423 |
| 9 | Layton | 1 | 1% | $26,942 |
| 10 | New York | 2 | 0% | $38,673 |
| 11 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $38,152 |
| 12 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $51,675 |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $47,425 |
| 14 | Miami | 1 | 0% | $37,668 |
Kitchen Chef job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of kitchen chef experts
Spokane Community College
Edmonds Community College
Clark College
Clark College
PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby's Restaurant
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 Kitchen Chef 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.
What Kitchen Chef skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Robert Lombardi: Personal Communication Skills, Vocational Math, Food Science
What general advice would you give to a Kitchen Chef?
Robert Lombardi: Look for employment in Private Clubs, Supermarket Baking, Resorts, Casinos
What Kitchen Chef 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!
What general advice would you give to a Kitchen Chef?
Stacey Schwartz: I tell graduates that when you begin your career you should decide where you want to be working or what you want to be doing in five years from then and work backward. How will you get there? If you want to be a fine-dining chef, you should start by interning at a fine dining restaurant and try to get hired. Aim high!
Aaron Guerra
Tenured Professor of Cuisine Management, Department HeadClark College
McClaskey Culinary Institute
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Kitchen Chef job market given the pandemic?
Aaron Guerra: Handheld ordering devices and no-touch service models; amplified ServSafe/HACCP best practices; to go and pick up for higher-end restaurants; the need for culinary employees to have better hard and soft skills, specifically critical thinking and rapid response to needs; an uptick in sustainable packaging that is viable and more affordable; outside alcohol sales even though Oregon has not yet approved the practice.
What skills stand out on Kitchen Chef resumes?
Aaron Guerra: ServSafe 5 year certification as a student; basics of any quality student: good attendance, substantial grades, evidence of incorporating and demonstrating hard skills like plating and organization as well as soft skills like the ability to cost recipes correctly, produce accurate production sheet, and execute events; portfolios and management project binder that illustrate previous skills (Our students must provide a portfolio at the end of the program with their 120-hour externship paperwork and develop a small business plan/Restaurant management project that includes menu, full costing including q factor and budgeted yield percentage, profit and loss sheets, equipment depreciation, dining area and kitchen floor plans, business prospectus including demographics, marketing, and specified segmentation.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Kitchen Chefs to find work opportunities?
Aaron Guerra: Before covid, it was limitless. I had one student go to the Grand Lodge at Glacier National Park in Montana. She was offered a job but returned to the PNW and landed as Assistant Kitchen Manager at Pok Pok restaurants. I had another do her externship at CNM Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque, New Mexico's entrepreneurial Food Truck program. She is currently working her previous job as a police dispatcher and prepping her food truck. The opening date is not yet set. Here locally, especially the new waterfront in Vancouver and the greater Portland area. One student is working in a restaurant in Texas. I have a student at Twigs, C'est La Vie, Amaro's Table, Rally's Pizza, and one that was at Renata's.
During covid, it has been more challenging. Some are still working. One is at Intel, the ones at Rally, C'est La Vie and Twigs are still working, but some are being extra cautious until this pandemic breaks.
R. Earl Frederick
Tenured Professor of Cuisine ManagementClark College
McClaskey Culinary Institute
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Kitchen Chefs?
R. Earl Frederick: Yes, there will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates. I believe that our current students will be vastly equipped to deal with the hospitality industry changes. Before the pandemic happened, we were already teaching students how to be flexible (learning to do as many tasks as possible in your environment). We also encourage them to look "outside of the box" when it comes to careers in the hospitality industry. We emphasize to our students to look for a career rather than a job. Places like business dining facilities, senior living facilities, specialty markets, and casinos provide opportunities for career mobility and give their employees quality of life. It will be necessary for our graduates to look beyond restaurants to have a thriving hospitality industry career.
What general advice would you give to a Kitchen Chef?
Patti Stobaugh: 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.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Kitchen Chefs in the next 3-5 years?
Patti Stobaugh: Convenience services will continue to grow in importance, i.e., delivery, curbside service, gift service, small caterings for events. Social media has changed so much in the last 3-5 years that I would imagine the social media changes will be huge.
Karla Nardi
Program CoordinatorUniversity of New Mexico - Taos
Department of Culinary Arts
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Kitchen Chefs 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.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Kitchen Chef 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.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Kitchen Chefs in the next 3-5 years?
Karla Nardi: All technology is essential to the restaurant industry. In the next 3-5 years, the programs that assist with cost controls will be crucial. Changes that are happening now will be affecting us for years to come, so keeping your eye on the bottom line will be even more critical if you want to survive and succeed.
Dave Quisenberry
Culinary Arts InstructorReynolds Community College
The Kitchens at Reynolds
How do you envision technology impacting Kitchen Chefs 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.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Kitchen Chefs?
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.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Kitchen Chefs 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.