The average annual wage of the occupations is $62,640 and $30 per hour. 5 vocational programs could be taken for the Chefs and Head Cooks career. Based on BLS data, a total of 172,370 employees were employed in the Occupation.
The 2025 average tuition over the programs for preparing Chefs and Head Cooks is $15,831. The average length of the programs is 436 hours and the average completion time is 10.69 months.
The following 5 vocational programs are required or helpful to prepare Chefs and Head Cooks.
The tuition, program length, and completion time program information is average amounts over all schools that offer each program. This information is only for vocational programs (i.e. certificate programs) and not for bachelor's or graduate degrees.
| Program Name | Number of Schools | Tuition & Fees | Books & Supplies | Program Lengths | Avg. Completion Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking and Related Culinary Arts | 196 | $11,770 | $879 | 313 Hours | 10.11 Months |
| Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef | 233 | $24,241 | $1,201 | 326 Hours | 13.09 Months |
| Culinary Arts/Chef Training | 423 | $18,726 | $1,059 | 790 Hours | 12.05 Months |
| Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager | 126 | $8,587 | $1,626 | 316 Hours | 7.50 Months |
| Culinary Science/Culinology | 2 | $30,424 | - | - | - |
The following 19 occupations are related to Chefs and Head Cooks.
The following 522 schools offer the vocational programs and certificate courses for preparing Chefs and Head Cooks. The list includes some 4-year colleges that have certificate or associate programs for the career.