Cooks, Restaurant Description OES Code: 650260 Restaurant Cooks prepare, season, and cook soups, meats, vegetables, desserts, and other foodstuffs in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu. CA Wages/hour median range New, no experience: minimum minimum – $9.28 New, experienced: $7.00 minimum – $10.96 3 yrs+ experience: $8.50 minimum – $14.38 Pay for Cooks and Chefs depends on the location and the type of restaurant in which the work is done. The highest pay is usually in the most popular restaurants in the expensive areas in large cities and in large and exclusive hotel restaurants. Local Wages • CCOIS Survey • OES Survey Hours & Benefits Cooks and Chefs normally work an eight-hour shift, five days or evenings a week, including weekends and most holidays. Chefs in small restaurants often work a split shift for which they get extra pay. Benefits depend on the how much the restaurant sells. They most often include meals, professional seminars, health and accident insurance, and sick leave. Other benefits, such as pension plans, interest-free loans, professional dues, and company cars may be offered. Employment Trends Employment 1996 77,460 Projected Employment 2006 98,810 Growth Rate 1996-2006 27.6 Openings due to Separations 20,980 Employment Trends by California County For a long time there has been a need for skilled Cooks and even more for qualified Chefs. The work is demanding and the pay has not been very high. In recent years the public has had an increased interest in food and this has brought a lot of attention to some talented and stylish Chefs. They have been visible and have become rich. This may be the reason that there has been an increase of enrollments in training programs which now have long waiting lists for students wanting that type of training. Advancement Advancement for a Cook may be in a more responsible position within the same restaurant, or a similar position in a larger or better establishment. Experienced, creative Cooks with supervisory skills may eventually become Chefs. Some may open their own restaurants. Getting the Job & Other Information Graduating apprentices are often hired by the restaurant in which they have completed their training. Experienced Cooks, as well as persons seeking entry-level jobs, may register with the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union and the California Employment Development Department. For more information, please contact: Chefs Association of the Pacific 1550 Bryant, Ste 810 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 864-5627 For current job listings, browse CalJOBS or America's Job Bank.

Click arrow at bottom left of image to begin. Requires QuickTime Education and Training Cooks and Chefs often get their experience through on-the-job training by starting out as dishwashers or kitchen helpers who do cutting, peeling, and other back-up kitchen work. As opportunities come up, they may assist at various work stations and increase their skills. There is a three-year, State-approved apprenticeship program which is specially designed to train Cooks for full-service eating places. The apprenticeship program includes both formal classroom training in the principles of cooking and kitchen operation. As full time, paid employees, apprentices work at all the stations until they become experienced in all the skills required at each station. When the program is completed, the trainees graduate with journey-level status and are designated as Culinarian. Apprenticeship information is available through the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards. Skills & Other Requirements Cooks and Chefs need to have an excellent sense of taste and smell. They must be healthy, active, alert, clean, dependable, and work well with others. In addition, to being excellent Cooks and Chefs, they must be creative in their cooking, and have a good business sense, and a lot of energy. They should also have good organization and supervisory skills. Professional Cooks and Chefs usually provide their own knives, sharpeners, and other cooking tools. A basic set of cooking tools, usually obtained during training, costs from $300 to $500. References Note: The references below (and/or on other parts of this page) will link to pages on the internet outside the Career Video system. California Occupational Guide: Cooks & Chefs #93 Related Occupation: Kitchen Workers (Food Preparation Workers) #331, Cooks, Short Order & Fast Food #66 Training: California State Training Inventory     © State of California EDD/LMID, US Department of Labor Unless indicated otherwise, wage data is based on Statewide aggregated CCOIS survey responses between 1995 and 1997. Questions or Comments? Contact us.