Culinary Arts Careers

Salary ranges from $7.00 to $18.00 per hour

A career in food preparation can be very rewarding if you have a natural desire to cook. You have many options that require different levels of commitment. You can become a fast food manager, a head chef and a restaurant, or work in one of America’s classy hotels.

Career Requirements

A high school diploma is not required for beginning jobs, but it is recommended for those planning a career as a cook or chef. High school or vocational school programs may offer courses in basic food safety and handling procedures and general business and computer classes for those who want to manage or open their own place.

Click here for more information on requirements

Job Description

Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods—from soups, snacks, and salads to entrees, side dishes, and desserts—in a variety of restaurants and other food services establishments.

Chefs and cooks create recipes and prepare meals, while food preparation workers peel and cut vegetables, trim meat, prepare poultry, and perform other duties such as keeping work areas clean and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops.

In general, chefs and cooks measure, mix, and cook ingredients according to recipes, using a variety of pots, pans, cutlery, and other equipment, including ovens, broilers, grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders.

Chefs and head cooks also are responsible for directing the work of other kitchen workers, estimating food requirements, and ordering food supplies.

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(Job description and requirements, are excerpts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)