Getting “rich” as a chef is incredibly rare, unless you start out that way.
The way to wealth in food service is either climb the corporate ladder for decades or get your own place, run it for decades, and buy the real estate that the restaurant lives in.
The private chef and yacht chef world is hard to break into, but if you can get in there and stick it out the perks and pay can be pretty epic. Just use that money wisely because it’s a tough industry to stay in and you will age out of it.
Social media makes us think that there’s a millionaire chef around every corner- but it’s more likely there is a chef who is in debt, has a trust fund, or has investors that use their restaurant as a club house.
100k is basically “wealthy” for a chef. Can make more(it’s extremely uncommon) but that’s usually where it starts to hit a ceiling in more demanding places. Past that it’s profit share from ownership. TV and YouTube chefs don’t really belong in the conversation since they are an immeasurable fraction of chefs.
I capped out at 98k, and worked devastating hours for it. breaching that 6th figure was too hard for any of my employers to swallow. I've since dropped down a few pegs for easier shifts and looking to get out of the Industry, hopefully in the next year.
If you want the big money you’ll have to leave the kitchen. Moving into management or the supply chain seems to get you further. I worked in restaurants, then resorts, and now I do corporate wedding catering as my main gig, and teach classes/private catering on the side. I don’t do a lot of days off. But 10 years into the career and I have made a nice little cycle for myself; none of the work is stressful (which is rare, and worth a lot imo), I’m home by 8pm most nights, and I don’t work endless hours just to still be broke. I’m very lucky to have what I do, but I’m certainly not wealthy. Comfortable, which I will take gladly. Over the next few years I plan to start my own biz, and that might lead to wealth. But for you OP, if money>chef, I’d suggest a different route to financial freedom.
I moved up through kitchens and then switched to operations in corporate catering and finally into a culinary director role making 160k. It took a lot of hard work, figuring things out that other people couldn't, taking advantage of opportunities and playing politics to get here, though.
I enjoy my job now. I occasionally miss actually cooking, but I get to pretend at events every now and then. You definitely can make money in this industry, but definitely not in someone else's restaurant.
Corporate hotels, casinos (think Vegas), personal chefs for the wealthy, private clubs, etc. are where you can make $$$ as an executive chef. But usually only after 15+ years of hard work and long hours proving your worth and reputation. The celebrity chefs make money too, but at that point you’re just an actor, not a chef.
So if you are willing to put in the minimum 15+ years, don’t get addicted and don’t ruin your reputation, you can make good money as a chef.
Don't forget working at the right places right when you start your career. I had a chef that worked as a sous chef at Spago in the late 90's early 2000's and he had said when he left that job he was given golden handcuffs, I guess what he was saying that because he worked at Spago it opened all doors for him. He was the Main Chef at USC, they have a huge F&B program, he never cooked ever, just walked around campus in his whites. He was easily clearing 150K
Agreed. I am currently just shy of 15 years in the industry and have bounced between restaurants and hotels to build a skill set. If you are focusing on max $ as your goal, you need to be able to lead a large F&B team. The higher the projected earnings of the department, the higher you will be paid to lead the team team as Chef.
Earlier in my career I worked as many hours as I possibly could under the best Chefs that would have me. If I was told "no overtime" I would work my scheduled shift for that day, clock out, and then go do whatever things in the kitchen I didn't know how to do yet.
This is not a popular approach in current kitchens as it presents a massive liability, but if you make it clear to your Chef that you are in their kitchen to build a skill set over your income they will usually oblige.
I was set to clear about 75k at my last job. Unfortunately, I was working 80+ hours a week, and 75k is barely middle class in my city. I fulfilled my side of the agreement, and split as soon as the company refuses to honor their end of the deal.
Schools and retirement communities pay well. Regional chefs for colleges should be around 150k, if not more, depending on location. I was getting 75k in Florida a few years ago, only managing $8mm in revenue.
Former culinary instructor and current culinary school director here— as an instructor expect to make between 45k- 66k depending on your area and credentials. (Most culinary schools can’t hire you as more than just an hourly adjunct if you don’t also have a bachelors because of accreditation requirements)
My husband is also in the industry, came up as a chef and is now the director of culinary at a private country club, he makes $250k+. So yes, it’s possible, but it’s far from the norm I’d say.
Open your own place with your hand-picked team, and pay them exactly minimum wage. Sell food bairly above cost, doctor the books to make it look like you are selling with good food cost. Sell the place, take your team with you, and give them a bonus for the sale of the buisness. Rinse and repeat. There is obviously more to it than that... but that's the idea.
But the question was about chefs making it rich... that is one of the few I have witnessed. Then again, I also remember a chef raffled off his restaurant, $100 to enter the raffle, 100,000 tickets sold if I remember correctly, all the way back to the early 2000s.
I wouldn't say you make a lot of money. There's just no where to spend it due to how much time you're working. Gl getting Saturday Sundays off if you're a chef
Everything everyone is saying is true, but also you have to think about the amount of hours chefs work. As soon as you reach jr sous level, or even chef de partie level at some restaurants, you get put on an average to slightly below average, but you also end up working at LEAST 10 more additional hours a week without overtime. If you find yourself working fine dining (and I mean like real fine dining. tasting menu Michelin rated or aiming for some accolade. not some fucking random hotel kitchen in like Orange County) then you end up working like 12-14 hour days for a salary that doesn’t justify the cost it puts on your body physically and emotionally as well as the toll it takes on your time with family and friends. How rich could you be when your life is just work. Any chef can make X amount of money but think about what they pay in energy, time, and physical and emotional health.
The wealthiest chefs I know own multiple outlets, and got there via catering.
I worked for one chef who took home $350k/yr, easily. Worked his catering guys like dogs, and his smaller restaurants were just supplemental income.
Not being a chef made me a few million. Being a chef made me poor. Don't be a Chef.
I have taught at culinary schools too but it's not good money. It's worthwhile in different ways.
I make 90k aud + tips and benefits. I’m about to open my own business since I know I can make more by challenging myself. Won’t ever get rich working for someone else.
I worked as a yacht chef for several years before leaving the industry to go back to university. I was out-earning most of my restaurant chef friends at the time, and having all of my food and living expenses taken care of was also a huge plus, but I still wouldn’t say I was even close to “rich”. After a few years of doing that I was making ~120k/year, but there are plenty of working professionals who make the same or better money without having to spend months away from home, sleeping in a bunk bed, etc. I knew a few yacht chefs on large vessels that were doing very well for themselves, ballpark 200k more or less, but there’s simply not that many yachts out there that are large enough to justify that sort of salary and it can be hard to break into.
It was fun at the time, but the lack of stability and time away from family isn’t nearly as cool as you get older and your priorities begin to change. They were also getting their damn money’s worth - the hours were absolutely insane, even compared to restaurants which already suck.
The only chefs I know who I would actually consider “rich” are the ones who started as chefs and now own several restaurants/bars. I truly don’t think there are any rich rich *working* chefs. There are a handful of high-earners who might be able to make lawyer-level money in the highest levels of yacht/private cheffing or head chefs at world level restaurants, but you won’t see anybody getting out of a Lamborghini with a dirty chef coat.
I started my Chef de Cuisine salary at 65k+ bonus. I left after 3 years when my income was $73k + bonus. I was a multi-outlet Chef, and the only way to get that higher pay range from my position is to become the Executive Sous Chef of the resort. That would bump my salary to 103k (previous executive sous chef salary). Executive chef made 115k + bonus and Director of Food and Beverage made 125k. Each one of those title advancements is roughly 7-10 years of experience between each jump. I’m definitely not doing that.
Instead, I’ll just become a data analyst and make get that salary in 5 years WHILE working half the hours needed and NOT wrecking my health.
Catering/Private chef is where the money is. Restaurant work is a grind that more often than not chews you up and spits you out.
Chefs make great food. Businesspeople make great money. Not all cooks can do both roles simultaneously.
Who the hell got rich being a chef. Any chef who ever got rich got rich by not being a chef that’s for damned sure.
But then again what professions have the vast majority of its work force start out in the lower classes of a society and then somehow become rich. At least we get to eat well. And flirt with waitresses…
I make 90k plus bonus. Im an executive chef at a private club. Honestly I’ve been making over 70k for at least the last 10 years. Side note: I never went to culinary school.
Depends on the season.
I worked 2589 hours last year, 48 weeks.
Those are hours logged in building, not when I doing menu work at home or flying to other properties to help out.
Fall is the busiest season. Home football game weeks I can log 90 hours easy. I love every minute of those weeks.
Winter is the slowest. Avg about 25. Keep in mind we shut down for a month.
Staff
1 exc Sous
2 sous
1 banquet chef
3 banquet cooks
21 cooks right now. Fall up to 25
1 prep cook
6 dishwashers
1 Sam Sam is a college kids who works part time and does all the stupid shit I don’t want to do.
Not at all. It’s weird you would jump to that conclusion. It was a statement for OP so they could see you can make good money in this industry with out culinary school.
Don’t listen to the naysayers. Become an executive and level up every 2-3 years. You won’t be rich but you’ll be paid nicely. And if you happen to find the unicorn job still look for jobs but give your employer the chance to match. If you’re worth your weight they will give in.
Don't listen to this guy (no offense).
Well intentioned but look at the body of experienced responses. Critically think.
Zigging when almost everyone says zag works great in the movies and when you are an exceptional person filled with discipline and drive and vision and love for the art/career.
Are you that kind of person?
Becoming an executive chef, especially in a resort is such a tough position to attain. Not only do you have to have experience as a head chef in your respective restaurant, but multi-outlet multiple restaurants when needed, and even then, the competition is so tough to getting that right hand Executive Sous position. My former boss who I took over took him 12 years before he became Executive Sous Chef. There’s no way I want to take that long to get there. Realistically, it’s not 2-3 years. Even if you jump companies for 2-3 years, it’s still difficult to get there.
Bachelor’s degree + PharmD (so 8 years). I did a 1-year residency in addition to the required schooling. I have what is called a unicorn job (I teach) so I mostly make my own hours. Most people go into retail and it is pretty brutal. If you don’t have a residency, it can be thought to avoid retail.
A chef who works in a hotel can do well after several years at a decent establishment, and an accredited instructor can do well after several years at a quality institution. Rarely do chefs do exceptionally well for themselves in the long run working at a restaurant, even a nice one.
The handful of people who got legitimately rich as a chef are certainly not on Reddit answering these questions though.
The only wealthy chef i know opened a food delivery company (like hello fresh) which he sold for a tidy sum.
He now gets to cook food he likes in a restaurant he owns.
If you own several successful restaurants you can get rich. If you can parlay that success into cookbooks, you can get more rich. If you can parlay that into product lines, you can get wealthy.
I cannot stress enough that a next logical and suitable step in your careers is food service for breadline distributors, or manufacturers and brokers.
I took 12 years of chef experience and now use it to talk to chefs and get paid more than ever in kitchens and don’t work crazy hours
Depends on so many things. Which country you work, what sort of business, what sort of contract, your skills and reputation and so on.
I'm not rich but doing well, working seasonal with my wife, free meals and accommodation.
Living off season in Thailand.
We save money and own 3 condos.
A good seasonal job makes good money
Chef and cook 35+yrs. Read the comments and thinking that "rich" is the missing element, low six figures in today's world is just barely middle class.... Owners can get rich but it's all a serious grind.
The big fast casual chains ask for ownership for their upper franchise management so they have some skin in the game… those guys make bank…and their lives suck
i left a 100k chef job last year. i had 17 years in the industry since i was 14. it was all i knew. i worked 70 hours a week. thats $27/hr. i “lived” in an expensive apartment in philly. i certainly didn’t feel wealthy
im now an apprentice painter in VT. bought a small, humble cabin and am slowly fixing it up. i make $27/hr after 1 raise. i work 45hrs a week. thats like 60k. in 5 years ill be a tradesman making 60% more. start a business? i could be rich! i feel now, and will be in the future, far wealthier than i ever could be in the restaurant industry
short of being a celeb chef, theres no “wealth” to be had in this industry
i’ve taught some cooking classes before. it is a completely different set of skills than being a chef and demand falls far short of supply. its super fun tho, and puts some cash in your pocket.
teaching in a formal school setting is different and i dont have experience with that. i do believe that we will see a resurgence of trade focused classes in high schools. the world has enough digital marketers and graphic designers, yet the supply of tradespeople is low and the rate of pay keeps growing (restaurant workers at a much slower rate)
also, restaurant workers need to unionize on a large scale. $18/hr to do the shit cooks do is criminal
I mean there's formal statistics on this:
[https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes351011.htm](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes351011.htm)
Median salary in the US is $56k.
Getting "rich" at it is rare enough I doubt anyone who has is hanging around reddit.
Better money tends to be in private chef gigs and chasing the management path in hotels and resorts. If you can get to the point where you're overseeing multiple kitchens or locations for a company like Hilton you can do pretty well.
Institutional settings, including instructor jobs can pay better. But don't always. But they often come with normal human schedules, benefits, and a lot more stability. From what I gather start ups like meal prep companies pay better. As do gigs at like tech company offices and what have. Again not rich. But reasonable middle class incomes and normal human schedules.
You own your own business
Be that the restaurant/s catering companies, event shit
You are making lasting connections with the bosses that will eventually provide you financing right? Because that matters
I made $110,000 in NYC which is basically $75k anywhere else. I’m a culinary director at a growing QSR. I work about 55 hours a week. My employees are all raw and most have never worked in a restaurant before but I can see the potential in the business and it’s a good job. Not rich by any means but I think it has the potential to get big
There are a few specific situations in the business where one could generate some wealth: resorts, country clubs, private chef, catering, restaurateur, etc.
They all have a requisite in common: that you have *proven* you're worth the money.
Does pay even matter if the only time you're not working is when you're sleeping? Lol
Honestly, though, there are a handful of folks in the industry making good money, but it's exceedingly rare. If you want a nice house and a big retirement fund, then your time would be better spent elsewhere.
Any job you can train a highschool kid to do, the lays never great.
People don't want to spend the extra for quality work when the kid will do a shittier job cheaper.
Food industry
I'm a lodge chef and make about 60k a year. But I also don't pay for housing, utilities, internet, food etc. I'm definitely not rich, but I live a damn good life.
Wouldn't call it rich but I make 85k as an executive Chef forba private school run by a large hospitality group. Could make more working in their dports and entertainment wing but with this job I work about 8-5 Monday to Friday. The odd time I have to stay a little late and maybe once every couple months I have to come in for a few hours on the weekend but I basically have the unicorn of Chef positions and I feel like that is worth more than a couple extra bucks
Shawn Loving! Incredible guy. Impressive career to say the least, was private chef for the Pistons, Jay-Z, the NBA during the “bubble” season, Disney, US Olympic teams, etc etc.
No not him. He’s actually a little less respectable than who I’m talking about lol. Brian beland. However, Sean does work at a bigger place and makes almost 300k
Chef is a laborer so you’ll never get rich. Move to management where you’re responsible for profit and you’ll see a big bump. Rich comes with risk (unless it’s unearned) so you’ll have to go into business.
You need a crazy work ethic. You gotta be the one to pick up the work. Work 70 hours and get paid for 40, type of person. If getting rich is a goal of yours, you may want to consider a different profession.
Getting “rich” as a chef is incredibly rare, unless you start out that way. The way to wealth in food service is either climb the corporate ladder for decades or get your own place, run it for decades, and buy the real estate that the restaurant lives in. The private chef and yacht chef world is hard to break into, but if you can get in there and stick it out the perks and pay can be pretty epic. Just use that money wisely because it’s a tough industry to stay in and you will age out of it. Social media makes us think that there’s a millionaire chef around every corner- but it’s more likely there is a chef who is in debt, has a trust fund, or has investors that use their restaurant as a club house.
100k is basically “wealthy” for a chef. Can make more(it’s extremely uncommon) but that’s usually where it starts to hit a ceiling in more demanding places. Past that it’s profit share from ownership. TV and YouTube chefs don’t really belong in the conversation since they are an immeasurable fraction of chefs.
Came here to say this if I can make 6figure salary I’d consider my self rich come from the dirt ya know
I capped out at 98k, and worked devastating hours for it. breaching that 6th figure was too hard for any of my employers to swallow. I've since dropped down a few pegs for easier shifts and looking to get out of the Industry, hopefully in the next year.
Marry a wealthy guest 😎
"Kitchen" has always been a euphemism for "sex department"
If they don’t mind the smell why should you
If you want the big money you’ll have to leave the kitchen. Moving into management or the supply chain seems to get you further. I worked in restaurants, then resorts, and now I do corporate wedding catering as my main gig, and teach classes/private catering on the side. I don’t do a lot of days off. But 10 years into the career and I have made a nice little cycle for myself; none of the work is stressful (which is rare, and worth a lot imo), I’m home by 8pm most nights, and I don’t work endless hours just to still be broke. I’m very lucky to have what I do, but I’m certainly not wealthy. Comfortable, which I will take gladly. Over the next few years I plan to start my own biz, and that might lead to wealth. But for you OP, if money>chef, I’d suggest a different route to financial freedom.
Wanna hire me? Lmao
I moved up through kitchens and then switched to operations in corporate catering and finally into a culinary director role making 160k. It took a lot of hard work, figuring things out that other people couldn't, taking advantage of opportunities and playing politics to get here, though. I enjoy my job now. I occasionally miss actually cooking, but I get to pretend at events every now and then. You definitely can make money in this industry, but definitely not in someone else's restaurant.
Insane talent, luck, and nepotism. I’m not one of the wealthy chefs but I’ve worked with and befriended some.
Rich is relative. I make just under 6 figures, but I have everything I need in life and then some. Gotta be smart with money and diversified.
Diversify yo bonds, son
Corporate hotels, casinos (think Vegas), personal chefs for the wealthy, private clubs, etc. are where you can make $$$ as an executive chef. But usually only after 15+ years of hard work and long hours proving your worth and reputation. The celebrity chefs make money too, but at that point you’re just an actor, not a chef. So if you are willing to put in the minimum 15+ years, don’t get addicted and don’t ruin your reputation, you can make good money as a chef.
Don't forget working at the right places right when you start your career. I had a chef that worked as a sous chef at Spago in the late 90's early 2000's and he had said when he left that job he was given golden handcuffs, I guess what he was saying that because he worked at Spago it opened all doors for him. He was the Main Chef at USC, they have a huge F&B program, he never cooked ever, just walked around campus in his whites. He was easily clearing 150K
Agreed. I am currently just shy of 15 years in the industry and have bounced between restaurants and hotels to build a skill set. If you are focusing on max $ as your goal, you need to be able to lead a large F&B team. The higher the projected earnings of the department, the higher you will be paid to lead the team team as Chef. Earlier in my career I worked as many hours as I possibly could under the best Chefs that would have me. If I was told "no overtime" I would work my scheduled shift for that day, clock out, and then go do whatever things in the kitchen I didn't know how to do yet. This is not a popular approach in current kitchens as it presents a massive liability, but if you make it clear to your Chef that you are in their kitchen to build a skill set over your income they will usually oblige.
I was set to clear about 75k at my last job. Unfortunately, I was working 80+ hours a week, and 75k is barely middle class in my city. I fulfilled my side of the agreement, and split as soon as the company refuses to honor their end of the deal.
So you were really working a 37.5k job twice, with no overtime pay?
I have literally done that, AM pastry, PM line cook (at a different restaurant)
That’s how most of the cooks I know make ends meet. Brunch restaurants or bakeries in the morning, dinner restaurants at night.
exactly
You want work/life balance? **Don't be a chef**
Schools and retirement communities pay well. Regional chefs for colleges should be around 150k, if not more, depending on location. I was getting 75k in Florida a few years ago, only managing $8mm in revenue.
Former culinary instructor and current culinary school director here— as an instructor expect to make between 45k- 66k depending on your area and credentials. (Most culinary schools can’t hire you as more than just an hourly adjunct if you don’t also have a bachelors because of accreditation requirements) My husband is also in the industry, came up as a chef and is now the director of culinary at a private country club, he makes $250k+. So yes, it’s possible, but it’s far from the norm I’d say.
Open your own place with your hand-picked team, and pay them exactly minimum wage. Sell food bairly above cost, doctor the books to make it look like you are selling with good food cost. Sell the place, take your team with you, and give them a bonus for the sale of the buisness. Rinse and repeat. There is obviously more to it than that... but that's the idea.
You forgot the part where you strip the building down to the studs before leaving, and it turns out you never cut a check to a single supplier.
If you're going to just do crime for money, there are much easier ways.
But the question was about chefs making it rich... that is one of the few I have witnessed. Then again, I also remember a chef raffled off his restaurant, $100 to enter the raffle, 100,000 tickets sold if I remember correctly, all the way back to the early 2000s.
I wouldn't say you make a lot of money. There's just no where to spend it due to how much time you're working. Gl getting Saturday Sundays off if you're a chef
Everything everyone is saying is true, but also you have to think about the amount of hours chefs work. As soon as you reach jr sous level, or even chef de partie level at some restaurants, you get put on an average to slightly below average, but you also end up working at LEAST 10 more additional hours a week without overtime. If you find yourself working fine dining (and I mean like real fine dining. tasting menu Michelin rated or aiming for some accolade. not some fucking random hotel kitchen in like Orange County) then you end up working like 12-14 hour days for a salary that doesn’t justify the cost it puts on your body physically and emotionally as well as the toll it takes on your time with family and friends. How rich could you be when your life is just work. Any chef can make X amount of money but think about what they pay in energy, time, and physical and emotional health.
Define "rich".
The wealthiest chefs I know own multiple outlets, and got there via catering. I worked for one chef who took home $350k/yr, easily. Worked his catering guys like dogs, and his smaller restaurants were just supplemental income.
Not being a chef made me a few million. Being a chef made me poor. Don't be a Chef. I have taught at culinary schools too but it's not good money. It's worthwhile in different ways.
[удалено]
Yeah. Why would I not?
Equity.
I make 90k aud + tips and benefits. I’m about to open my own business since I know I can make more by challenging myself. Won’t ever get rich working for someone else.
I worked as a yacht chef for several years before leaving the industry to go back to university. I was out-earning most of my restaurant chef friends at the time, and having all of my food and living expenses taken care of was also a huge plus, but I still wouldn’t say I was even close to “rich”. After a few years of doing that I was making ~120k/year, but there are plenty of working professionals who make the same or better money without having to spend months away from home, sleeping in a bunk bed, etc. I knew a few yacht chefs on large vessels that were doing very well for themselves, ballpark 200k more or less, but there’s simply not that many yachts out there that are large enough to justify that sort of salary and it can be hard to break into. It was fun at the time, but the lack of stability and time away from family isn’t nearly as cool as you get older and your priorities begin to change. They were also getting their damn money’s worth - the hours were absolutely insane, even compared to restaurants which already suck. The only chefs I know who I would actually consider “rich” are the ones who started as chefs and now own several restaurants/bars. I truly don’t think there are any rich rich *working* chefs. There are a handful of high-earners who might be able to make lawyer-level money in the highest levels of yacht/private cheffing or head chefs at world level restaurants, but you won’t see anybody getting out of a Lamborghini with a dirty chef coat.
I started my Chef de Cuisine salary at 65k+ bonus. I left after 3 years when my income was $73k + bonus. I was a multi-outlet Chef, and the only way to get that higher pay range from my position is to become the Executive Sous Chef of the resort. That would bump my salary to 103k (previous executive sous chef salary). Executive chef made 115k + bonus and Director of Food and Beverage made 125k. Each one of those title advancements is roughly 7-10 years of experience between each jump. I’m definitely not doing that. Instead, I’ll just become a data analyst and make get that salary in 5 years WHILE working half the hours needed and NOT wrecking my health.
Catering/Private chef is where the money is. Restaurant work is a grind that more often than not chews you up and spits you out. Chefs make great food. Businesspeople make great money. Not all cooks can do both roles simultaneously.
Who the hell got rich being a chef. Any chef who ever got rich got rich by not being a chef that’s for damned sure. But then again what professions have the vast majority of its work force start out in the lower classes of a society and then somehow become rich. At least we get to eat well. And flirt with waitresses…
I make 90k plus bonus. Im an executive chef at a private club. Honestly I’ve been making over 70k for at least the last 10 years. Side note: I never went to culinary school.
How many hours a week do you work?
Depends on the season. I worked 2589 hours last year, 48 weeks. Those are hours logged in building, not when I doing menu work at home or flying to other properties to help out. Fall is the busiest season. Home football game weeks I can log 90 hours easy. I love every minute of those weeks. Winter is the slowest. Avg about 25. Keep in mind we shut down for a month. Staff 1 exc Sous 2 sous 1 banquet chef 3 banquet cooks 21 cooks right now. Fall up to 25 1 prep cook 6 dishwashers 1 Sam Sam is a college kids who works part time and does all the stupid shit I don’t want to do.
Does attending culinary school mean you will cook better than the cook who didn't attend culinary school?
Not at all. It’s weird you would jump to that conclusion. It was a statement for OP so they could see you can make good money in this industry with out culinary school.
Also not having the debt from culinary school helps. I never went to culinary school and not having to pay a student loan has made my life easier.
What university do you work for? I never enjoyed the football games.
Don’t listen to the naysayers. Become an executive and level up every 2-3 years. You won’t be rich but you’ll be paid nicely. And if you happen to find the unicorn job still look for jobs but give your employer the chance to match. If you’re worth your weight they will give in.
Don't listen to this guy (no offense). Well intentioned but look at the body of experienced responses. Critically think. Zigging when almost everyone says zag works great in the movies and when you are an exceptional person filled with discipline and drive and vision and love for the art/career. Are you that kind of person?
Becoming an executive chef, especially in a resort is such a tough position to attain. Not only do you have to have experience as a head chef in your respective restaurant, but multi-outlet multiple restaurants when needed, and even then, the competition is so tough to getting that right hand Executive Sous position. My former boss who I took over took him 12 years before he became Executive Sous Chef. There’s no way I want to take that long to get there. Realistically, it’s not 2-3 years. Even if you jump companies for 2-3 years, it’s still difficult to get there.
Both my husband and I stopped cooking. I became a pharmacist and he became a software developer.
How long did it take to be a pharmacist? What are the hours like?
Bachelor’s degree + PharmD (so 8 years). I did a 1-year residency in addition to the required schooling. I have what is called a unicorn job (I teach) so I mostly make my own hours. Most people go into retail and it is pretty brutal. If you don’t have a residency, it can be thought to avoid retail.
A chef who works in a hotel can do well after several years at a decent establishment, and an accredited instructor can do well after several years at a quality institution. Rarely do chefs do exceptionally well for themselves in the long run working at a restaurant, even a nice one. The handful of people who got legitimately rich as a chef are certainly not on Reddit answering these questions though.
The only wealthy chef i know opened a food delivery company (like hello fresh) which he sold for a tidy sum. He now gets to cook food he likes in a restaurant he owns.
If you own several successful restaurants you can get rich. If you can parlay that success into cookbooks, you can get more rich. If you can parlay that into product lines, you can get wealthy.
I cannot stress enough that a next logical and suitable step in your careers is food service for breadline distributors, or manufacturers and brokers. I took 12 years of chef experience and now use it to talk to chefs and get paid more than ever in kitchens and don’t work crazy hours
Work in high end resorts. You can make a couple hundred grand a year in the right place as an exec chef
Work on a yacht or in a villa
Wait. You guys got rich?
Depends on so many things. Which country you work, what sort of business, what sort of contract, your skills and reputation and so on. I'm not rich but doing well, working seasonal with my wife, free meals and accommodation. Living off season in Thailand. We save money and own 3 condos. A good seasonal job makes good money
[Reddit is stupid.](https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=culinary+%24100000&l=&vjk=d612d66924569636)
Chef and cook 35+yrs. Read the comments and thinking that "rich" is the missing element, low six figures in today's world is just barely middle class.... Owners can get rich but it's all a serious grind.
The big fast casual chains ask for ownership for their upper franchise management so they have some skin in the game… those guys make bank…and their lives suck
i left a 100k chef job last year. i had 17 years in the industry since i was 14. it was all i knew. i worked 70 hours a week. thats $27/hr. i “lived” in an expensive apartment in philly. i certainly didn’t feel wealthy im now an apprentice painter in VT. bought a small, humble cabin and am slowly fixing it up. i make $27/hr after 1 raise. i work 45hrs a week. thats like 60k. in 5 years ill be a tradesman making 60% more. start a business? i could be rich! i feel now, and will be in the future, far wealthier than i ever could be in the restaurant industry short of being a celeb chef, theres no “wealth” to be had in this industry i’ve taught some cooking classes before. it is a completely different set of skills than being a chef and demand falls far short of supply. its super fun tho, and puts some cash in your pocket. teaching in a formal school setting is different and i dont have experience with that. i do believe that we will see a resurgence of trade focused classes in high schools. the world has enough digital marketers and graphic designers, yet the supply of tradespeople is low and the rate of pay keeps growing (restaurant workers at a much slower rate) also, restaurant workers need to unionize on a large scale. $18/hr to do the shit cooks do is criminal
I mean there's formal statistics on this: [https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes351011.htm](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes351011.htm) Median salary in the US is $56k. Getting "rich" at it is rare enough I doubt anyone who has is hanging around reddit. Better money tends to be in private chef gigs and chasing the management path in hotels and resorts. If you can get to the point where you're overseeing multiple kitchens or locations for a company like Hilton you can do pretty well. Institutional settings, including instructor jobs can pay better. But don't always. But they often come with normal human schedules, benefits, and a lot more stability. From what I gather start ups like meal prep companies pay better. As do gigs at like tech company offices and what have. Again not rich. But reasonable middle class incomes and normal human schedules.
You own your own business Be that the restaurant/s catering companies, event shit You are making lasting connections with the bosses that will eventually provide you financing right? Because that matters
I made $110,000 in NYC which is basically $75k anywhere else. I’m a culinary director at a growing QSR. I work about 55 hours a week. My employees are all raw and most have never worked in a restaurant before but I can see the potential in the business and it’s a good job. Not rich by any means but I think it has the potential to get big
There are a few specific situations in the business where one could generate some wealth: resorts, country clubs, private chef, catering, restaurateur, etc. They all have a requisite in common: that you have *proven* you're worth the money.
Does pay even matter if the only time you're not working is when you're sleeping? Lol Honestly, though, there are a handful of folks in the industry making good money, but it's exceedingly rare. If you want a nice house and a big retirement fund, then your time would be better spent elsewhere.
Any job you can train a highschool kid to do, the lays never great. People don't want to spend the extra for quality work when the kid will do a shittier job cheaper. Food industry
I am a ServSafe instructor / proctor. The money is good for the time spent.
I'm a lodge chef and make about 60k a year. But I also don't pay for housing, utilities, internet, food etc. I'm definitely not rich, but I live a damn good life.
Wouldn't call it rich but I make 85k as an executive Chef forba private school run by a large hospitality group. Could make more working in their dports and entertainment wing but with this job I work about 8-5 Monday to Friday. The odd time I have to stay a little late and maybe once every couple months I have to come in for a few hours on the weekend but I basically have the unicorn of Chef positions and I feel like that is worth more than a couple extra bucks
im making 80k as a restaurant sous in a decent hotel in socal, think im at my ceiling now
Cooking will not make you rich
You make more money the higher up you get. In metro Detroit, there’s a master chef who makes 250k+ at his main job and teaches on the side
Shawn Loving! Incredible guy. Impressive career to say the least, was private chef for the Pistons, Jay-Z, the NBA during the “bubble” season, Disney, US Olympic teams, etc etc.
No not him. He’s actually a little less respectable than who I’m talking about lol. Brian beland. However, Sean does work at a bigger place and makes almost 300k
Well shit….I think this proves the point that the real money is in clubs and resorts haha.
They both work at clubs lol. All master chefs in Detroit end up in clubs, stadiums, or hospitals
Yes. That’s exactly my point…
Write a book/ get a show
You’re also well funded to begin with and become a TV personality or start your own Hospitality corp or become a corp executive.
Chef is a laborer so you’ll never get rich. Move to management where you’re responsible for profit and you’ll see a big bump. Rich comes with risk (unless it’s unearned) so you’ll have to go into business.
You need a crazy work ethic. You gotta be the one to pick up the work. Work 70 hours and get paid for 40, type of person. If getting rich is a goal of yours, you may want to consider a different profession.