Prep chef demographics and statistics in the US
Prep chef demographics research summary. Zippia estimates prep chef demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our prep 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 prep chefs after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 213,889 prep chefs currently employed in the United States.
- 32.9% of all prep chefs are women, while 67.1% are men.
- The average prep chef age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of prep chefs is White (56.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.2%), Black or African American (10.3%) and Asian (10.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 91% of what men earned.
- 9% of all prep chefs are LGBT.
- Prep chefs are 74% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Prep chef demographics by:
Prep chef gender statistics
32.9% of prep chefs are women and 67.1% of prep chefs are men.
- Male, 67.1%
- Female, 32.9%
Prep chef gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 67.1% |
| Female | 32.9% |
Prep chef gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$26,693
Female income
$24,210
Prep chef gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in prep chef positions over time. Currently, 32.9% of prep chefs are female.
Prep chef gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.70% | 29.30% |
| 2011 | 71.42% | 28.58% |
| 2012 | 71.58% | 28.42% |
| 2013 | 71.79% | 28.21% |
| 2014 | 69.31% | 30.69% |
| 2015 | 71.56% | 28.44% |
| 2016 | 69.58% | 30.42% |
| 2017 | 70.11% | 29.89% |
| 2018 | 68.61% | 31.39% |
| 2019 | 70.09% | 29.91% |
| 2020 | 67.78% | 32.22% |
| 2021 | 67.10% | 32.90% |
Prep chef related jobs gender ratio
We compared prep 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% |
| Prep Chef | 67% | 33% |
| 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%
Prep chef demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among prep chefs is White, which makes up 56.7% of all prep chefs. Comparatively, 17.2% of prep chefs are Hispanic or Latino and 10.3% of prep chefs are Black or African American.
- White, 56.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.2%
- Black or African American, 10.3%
- Asian, 10.2%
- Unknown, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Prep chef race
| Prep chef race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.2% |
| Black or African American | 10.3% |
| Asian | 10.2% |
| Unknown | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Prep chef race and ethnicity over time
See how prep chef racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Prep chef race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 62.93% | 11.80% | 7.41% | 15.30% |
| 2011 | 63.08% | 12.37% | 6.79% | 15.00% |
| 2012 | 63.09% | 11.21% | 6.85% | 15.69% |
| 2013 | 64.23% | 11.43% | 6.18% | 15.08% |
| 2014 | 62.87% | 11.03% | 7.26% | 15.74% |
| 2015 | 61.34% | 10.67% | 7.33% | 17.51% |
| 2016 | 62.84% | 10.68% | 6.94% | 16.08% |
| 2017 | 59.78% | 10.24% | 8.85% | 17.93% |
| 2018 | 61.38% | 10.54% | 6.65% | 18.54% |
| 2019 | 61.17% | 10.37% | 7.86% | 17.79% |
| 2020 | 58.01% | 9.64% | 8.21% | 18.52% |
| 2021 | 56.72% | 10.27% | 10.17% | 17.18% |
Prep chef wage gap by race
According to our data, white prep chefs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian prep chefs have the lowest average salary at $25,774.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $26,487 |
| White | $27,601 |
| Black or African American | $26,999 |
| Asian | $25,774 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $26,639 |
Average prep chef age
See how the average age of prep chefs varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Prep 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 |
Prep chef age breakdown
The average age of prep chefs is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the prep chef population.
Prep chef age breakdown
| Prep Chef Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Prep chef educational attainment
- High School Diploma, 31%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- Associate, 27%
- Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Prep chefs by degree level
| Prep chef degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 31% |
| Bachelor's | 28% |
| Associate | 27% |
| Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Prep chef jobs you might like
Prep chef wage gap by degree level
According to the data, prep chefs with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $28,745 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, prep chefs earn a median annual income of $28,306 compared to $25,698 for prep chefs with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $25,698 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,306 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,745 |
Prep chef employment statistics
Most prep chefs work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where prep chefs work
Below, you can see the size of companies where prep chefs work.
Prep chef jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Prep chef jobs by company type
Employees with the prep chef job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most prep chefs prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Prep chef jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 21% |
| Private | 74% |
| Government | 2% |
Prep chef jobs by industry
The most common industries for prep chefs are hospitality, professional and retail.
Prep chef industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 50% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Prep chef turnover and employment statistics
Prep chef unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for prep chefs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Prep chef unemployment rate by year
| Year | Prep 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 prep chef tenure
The average prep chef stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,085 prep chefs resumes in Zippia's database.
Prep chef tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 40% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Prep chef LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of prep 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Clerk | 6.78% | 68,546 |
| Customer Service And Serving | 7.02% | 248,533 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Barista | 7.36% | 93,290 |
| Lead Bartender | 7.68% | 28,748 |
| Flight Kitchen Manager | 8.43% | 19,756 |
| Prep Chef | 8.58% | - |
Similar prep chef jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Clerk | 6.78% | 68,546 |
| Customer Service And Serving | 7.02% | 248,533 |
| Party Host | 7.29% | 10,198 |
| Barista | 7.36% | 93,290 |
| Lead Bartender | 7.68% | 28,748 |
| Flight Kitchen Manager | 8.43% | 19,756 |
Foreign languages spoken by prep chefs
The most common foreign language among prep chefs is Spanish at 49.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Italian at 13.4% and French is the third-most popular at 6.3%.
- Spanish, 49.1%
- Italian, 13.4%
- French, 6.3%
- German, 5.4%
- Chinese, 4.5%
- Other, 21.3%
Prep chef languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 49.1% |
| Italian | 13.4% |
| French | 6.3% |
| German | 5.4% |
| Chinese | 4.5% |
| Other | 21.3% |
