Best degree programs for Chefs and Head Cooks, ranked by enrollment
5 college programs and 524 schools train Chefs and Head Cooks. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $62,470 median wage, 200,040 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
5 college programs at 524 schools train chefs and head cooks, graduating 23,746 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Culinary Arts/Chef Training. The job pays a median of $62,470 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About chefs and head cooks
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
5 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 12.0503 | 11,808 | 49.7% | 353 | $25,404 | $13,000 |
| 2 | CIP 12.0501 | 5,575 | 23.5% | 193 | $25,404 | $13,000 |
| 3 | CIP 12.0500 | 4,439 | 18.7% | 153 | $25,404 | $13,000 |
| 4 | CIP 12.0504 | 1,663 | 7.0% | 115 | $25,404 | $13,000 |
| 5 | CIP 12.0509 | 261 | 1.1% | 8 | $25,404 | $13,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What chefs and head cooks earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $65,400 | 3,970 | 1.07× | 9 | 3,332 |
| California | $64,500 | 31,670 | 1.35× | 55 | 2,347 |
| New York | $70,670 | 17,430 | 1.40× | 25 | 2,164 |
| Texas | $56,080 | 13,270 | 0.73× | 31 | 2,060 |
| Florida | $58,240 | 19,670 | 1.54× | 48 | 1,803 |
| Illinois | $58,830 | 8,290 | 1.06× | 20 | 938 |
| North Carolina | $61,130 | 4,920 | 0.77× | 27 | 921 |
| Louisiana | $45,570 | 1,990 | 0.80× | 10 | 648 |
| Georgia | $66,230 | 3,680 | 0.58× | 17 | 483 |
| Michigan | $60,070 | 5,360 | 0.95× | 13 | 446 |
| Oklahoma | $58,540 | 1,430 | 0.65× | 13 | 420 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 | 880 | 0.53× | 5 | 414 |
| Arizona | $59,890 | 4,080 | 0.98× | 9 | 414 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $79,930 | 740 | 1.15× | 1 | 350 |
| Virginia | $63,270 | 3,600 | 0.68× | 12 | 345 |
| Ohio | $53,990 | 4,000 | 0.56× | 12 | 340 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,860 | 9,170 | 1.18× | 20 | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $61,300 | 1,860 | 0.49× | 12 | 308 |
| Washington | $76,010 | 5,320 | 1.16× | 15 | 307 |
| Kentucky | $48,070 | 1,790 | 0.70× | 8 | 272 |
| South Carolina | $71,860 | 2,650 | 0.89× | 8 | 271 |
| Utah | $59,060 | 1,740 | 0.78× | 8 | 258 |
| Indianamoderate | $52,190 | 1,940 | 0.47× | 3 | 254 |
| Mississippi | $54,850 | 840 | 0.56× | 12 | 237 |
| New Jersey | $74,280 | 9,100 | 1.65× | 11 | 230 |
| Tennessee | $69,810 | 3,820 | 0.91× | 7 | 213 |
| Maryland | $61,590 | 3,220 | 0.91× | 7 | 212 |
| Hawaii | $77,360 | 1,240 | 1.53× | 5 | 178 |
| Nevadalimited | $62,380 | 3,940 | 1.97× | 2 | 171 |
| Iowa | $47,990 | 1,640 | 0.82× | 8 | 154 |
| Oregon | $63,600 | 2,510 | 0.99× | 5 | 146 |
| Alabama | $62,400 | 1,000 | 0.37× | 5 | 143 |
| New Mexico | $62,250 | 770 | 0.69× | 7 | 140 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $60,510 | 540 | 0.41× | 4 | 139 |
| Connecticutlimited | $64,310 | 3,080 | 1.41× | 2 | 114 |
| Massachusetts | $69,540 | 6,000 | 1.28× | 8 | 110 |
| Missouri | $64,480 | 1,750 | 0.46× | 8 | 108 |
| Minnesota | $62,600 | 1,730 | 0.45× | 6 | 102 |
| Kansas | $58,390 | 860 | 0.46× | 5 | 93 |
| Alaskamoderate | $52,190 | 680 | 1.61× | 3 | 44 |
| Mainemoderate | $57,010 | 1,250 | 1.52× | 4 | 44 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $61,100 | 350 | 0.38× | 4 | 43 |
| Delawarelimited | $61,440 | 590 | 0.95× | 1 | 39 |
| Idaholimited | $52,000 | 550 | 0.50× | 2 | 33 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $63,400 | 1,170 | 1.33× | 3 | 21 |
| Montanalimited | $57,470 | 720 | 1.09× | 2 | 17 |
| South Dakotalimited | $48,470 | 300 | 0.51× | 2 | 8 |
| North Dakotalimited | $74,740 | 100 | 0.19× | 1 | 6 |
| Wyominglimited | $73,170 | 240 | 0.67× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
- Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
- Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
- Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
- Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Check the quantity and quality of received products.
- Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
- Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
Skills
- Monitoring4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies3.3
- Writing3.1
Knowledge areas
- Food Production4.1
- Production and Processing4.0
- Customer and Personal Service3.9
- Personnel and Human Resources3.7
- Administration and Management3.7
- Mathematics3.5
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Information Ordering4.0
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Speech Clarity3.9
Core activities
- Training and Teaching Others4.1
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.1
- Developing and Building Teams4.0
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.9
- Coaching and Developing Others3.9
- Getting Information3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Chef
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 5 majors mapped to Chefs and Head Cooks5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 12.0500Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
- 12.0501Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
- 12.0503Culinary Arts/Chef Training
- 12.0504Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
- 12.0509Culinary Science/Culinology
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Chef?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Culinary Arts/Chef Training, which awarded 11,808 degrees in 2024-25, 49.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Chef?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Culinary Arts and Related Services. Together they graduate about 23,746 people a year.
How much do chefs and head cooks earn?+
The median is $62,470 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,900 at the 10th percentile to $98,560 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for chefs and head cooks growing?+
BLS projects a +7.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 24,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
524 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do chefs and head cooks work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Chef, Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Executive Chef (Ex Chef) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 35-1011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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