Chef : Training And Pay

Colleges and Universities offer the most extensive training out there. They will get you a level III certification and will let you meet AQF in commercial cookery. It is the best method next to culinary institutes. 

In colleges you can expect to study any or all of these subjects:

" Business: you need to know business as you will be responsible for the ordering of foods, and supplies. It is also good if you plan to someday run a restaurant of your own someday)
" History, cultural studies, and Sciences: The study of the social sciences is a necessity when becoming a chef, because you will often be cooking foods from a different culture. Knowing the history of a country is an asset when trying to duplicate their foods.
" Economics and even politics: Understanding economics is needed in every profession as you will have to keep up with economic trends in the locale that you are working in. You can't expect an expensive restaurant to thrive in an area that is generally poor.
" Math: As a chef, you will often be required to estimate pricing for foods that balances out with the cost of preparing it. You will also be required to estimate the cost of supplies and ingredients, and must remain on or below your budget.
" Biological sciences: Knowing biology will help you to steer away from poisoning your clientele. It will help you to identify any poisonous or harmful food stuffs.
" Human relations: You must be able to relate to other people on their level if you are a chef because you will be dealing with quite a few of them daily, and none of them will be the same.
" Art and communications: Art will help you to present a nice plate and will help you to effectively blend the right foods together in a way that will be more appealing to the customer.
" Foreign Languages: Knowledge of foreign languages is an asset to a chef. It is quite common for a chef to travel to foreign locations when looking for inspiration for a new dish. It helps to speak the native language.

You will have to study a great deal but it will be worth it.

Advancement as a chef is easier than in most jobs, and can happen relatively quickly as you are always proving yourself. This is the one job where you moving form job to job will actually benefit you.

The reason for this is because you can transfer to a higher paying job, or simply to a better position. Being able to minimize waste and monitor other employees that are working under you can help you advance quickly.

What about the money?

There is plenty of money to be made in the culinary industry. Of course, much of this depends on the area, and the type of establishment that you work in.

Naturally a busier area will bring in pretty good money.

The best places to work in are expensive hotels and restaurants. Here is a quick breakdown of the money that you can make that depends on your position.

Head chefs and cooks: You can make anywhere from $7.39-$22.77 hourly to start.

To be more specific; if you are working in recreation services you can make $16.50 an hour; hotels and motels are $15.78 per hour, and eating and drinking places around $11.03 an hour to start.

Restaurant cooks: You can make anywhere from $8.33-$13.43 an hour to start.

If you work in recreational services you can make $9.65 and hour, hotels and motels; $9.97 hourly; eating and drinking places; $8.57 hourly to start.

Short order cooks: You can make anywhere from $6.32-$10.83 hourly to start.

If you work in Hotels and Motels; $8.44, recreation services and other miscellaneous places; $7.94, eating and drinking places; $7.57, Gas stations etc; $6.87, and grocery stores; $6.60 hourly to start.

Cafeteria Cooks: you can make anywhere from $6.70-$12.53 hourly to start.

In schools you can make $7.65; Nursing homes; $8.50; Hospitals $9.37; child care services $7.52 hourly to start.

Please Note that these are the starting hourly rates for the cook that is trying to get their experience. Naturally your pay will increase as your experience grows.

How do I Start?

As I stated before, you must go to school if you are hoping to be head chef or executive chef.

There are many avenues that you could chose when deciding where or how you would like to get your training. It really just depends on what kind of credentials you are hoping to get.

There are a few places that you can go to get your training. You can choose Colleges or universities, trade or vocational schools and an apprenticeship.

To become an executive chef that can work anywhere in the world you generally need an apprenticeship and some credited work behind you.

There are the real differences from all of these choices so that you can make the best one for you.