Career overview

Chefs and Head Cooks

O*NET-SOC 35-1011.00

Median pay / yr$60,990

OutlookRapid Growth

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

What it takes

The skills, knowledge, and credentials employers look for in Chefs and Head Cooks.

Skills employers look for

CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.

Knowledge areas

Food ProductionKnowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Personnel and Human ResourcesKnowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.