Chefs and Head Cooks
Food Preparation and Serving Related
The work is running a kitchen: teaching cooks how dishes should be prepared, garnished, and presented, and coordinating who does what. Sanitation, equipment, and work areas get inspected against standards; incoming supplies and finished food get checked for quantity and quality. Menus are planned and priced, supplies estimated and ordered, and records and accounts kept. The role can include cooking as well as directing others. Suits people who like leading a kitchen crew, checking food against quality standards, and keeping costs and stock under control.
Typical education: Associate’s Degree (2-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$62'470
Median Wage Market Position
$62'470
What you might do
- Direct cooks through prep, cooking, and plating
- Teach workers how to garnish and present food
- Check raw and cooked food against kitchen standards
- Order ingredients and supplies for the kitchen
- Walk the kitchen to check cleanliness standards
- Figure food quantities and supply costs in advance
Skills that matter
- Teaching cooks plating and presentation
- Checking food quality against standards
- Ordering food and estimating supply costs
- Timing prep so dishes go out together
- Watching sanitation on the cook line
- Coordinating cooks during service
AI & the future of this role
Menu design, kitchen leadership, and real-time cooking judgment still depend on taste, timing, and people management under pressure. Recipe tools and inventory software might streamline planning, but directing a busy kitchen remains largely hands-on and relational.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details