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Culinary salaries vary widely depending on a variety of factors. Some of these factors deal with the type of restaurant, the price of meals it serves, and its geographic location. Other factors deal with the individual, including the amount of experience and education they have or the prestige they have gained.

Fine-dining establishments in large metropolitan areas usually pay the highest wages. Other high-paying employers include hotels, resorts and spas, and individuals who hire private or personal chefs. Institutional cafeterias, casual or fast-food restaurants, and cruise ships tend to be among the lowest paying employers.

A culinary degree or diploma will not only give you an advantage over non-graduates in competing for a job at a high-end restaurant, it will also help you advance more quickly into better paying positions. According to 2005 data reported by the National Restaurant Association (NRA), fewer than 30 percent of food service workers have attended some college or hold an associate’s degree, and fewer than 10 percent hold a bachelor’s or higher level degree.

In 2006, the NRA projected that restaurant industry job growth would be highest in the Mountain states and in the South over next the decade, indicating higher demand for quality candidates and salary inflation in these areas. Arizona, Nevada, and South Carolina are projected to create the highest percentage growth in jobs, while California, Texas, and Florida will create the greatest number of new jobs over this period.

Average Culinary Career Salaries
According to March 2008 human resources data from Salary.com, the culinary salary for the middle 50 percent of executive chefs was between $55,710 and $84,930 annually.

By the same criteria, other professional kitchen positions pay as follows:

Job Title	Average Earnings of Middle 50%
Executive pastry chefs	$45,392-68,009
Sous chefs	$31,831-49,509
Line cook supervisors	$27,766-51,571
Senior cooks/Lead line cooks	$25,774-32,852
Cooking assistants	$22,987-28,728
Line cooks	$19,187-25,110

On the management side of restaurant operations, restaurant managers earned a culinary salary of between $36,806 and $53,668. In fine-dining establishments, the range increased to a range of $41,143 to $60,630. Catering managers earned from $34,414 to $48,134, and hotel managers earned from $64,616 to $118,537.

Factors Influencing Culinary Salaries
To illustrate the influence of geography on culinary salaries, consider that an executive chef in New York City earned between $66,127 and $100,811—well over the national average—while a person holding the same title in Columbus, Georgia, earned between $51,342 and $78,271, which is under the national average.

Do your research to determine culinary salaries in your area. Good information should be available from your cooking school’s placement office, a professional association such as the NRA or online.

Bear in mind very few people currently working in the food-service industry have college degrees. By completing formal training and receiving an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, you will distinguish yourself from the field. With the right effort and willingness to learn, you should find yourself on a faster track toward greater responsibility, more creativity and higher pay.

Learn more in our extensive guide to culinary schools and careers: