Executive Chef Salary

If you have ever watched Hell's Kitchen series, the reality TV show created by celebrity British chef Gordon James Ramsay, you must be aware, how interesting it is to be a chef. All it requires is an uncanny knack to understand the finer points of cooking. Not surprising, in recent years, an increasingly large number of students have opted for chef and cookery courses. Simultaneously, the number of hotel management and culinary schools have also increased in the endeavor to impart quality education and skills in the field of hotel management. Being a chef is a rewarding career choice, as this field has excellent career opportunities. However, the main area of concern for many youngsters who wish to pursue a career as chef is the salary range.

Job of an Executive Chef
The designation of an executive chef brings with it loads of responsibilities and duties. The job entails various other management activities related to the hotel industry. Chef executives monitor the entire cooking process, ensure hygiene of the hotel, manage staff members and look after all aspects of customer satisfaction. Starting from something as simple as table cloth to keeping an eye on the quality of food served, they hold a very responsible position. Besides these, they also manage budgets and accounts related to the professional kitchen. They also manage food store rooms, ensuring that foods don't perish under unfavorable weather conditions. If required, they assist and train the head chefs and other staff members.

Chef Average Salary
If you analyze various salary ranges for jobs, you will find a common thread connecting all of them, that is, in the initial years of work, the salaries are not very high. In the initial years, the main focus of candidates must be on learning new skills and gaining mastery in the concerned field. The salary depends on the following factors:

• Years of work experience
• Employer type
• City Location
• Size of hotel/restaurant
• Educational Qualifications

In general, a high school qualification is the minimum requirement for becoming a chef, however, nowadays, just a high school degree is not enough unless it is backed by some excellent work experience. Normally, a bachelor's degree in hotel management or culinary sciences is preferred by employers.

The salary per year according to the latest data of 2010 for those having a work experience of around four to fives years is between US$35,000 to US$50,000. As mentioned earlier, the average salary range dominantly depends on the work location. Those placed in luxury hotels and restaurants in expensive cities command higher salaries than those working in small restaurants. Executives chefs who are hired for corporate firms and large-scale organizations earn decent salaries and also enjoy benefits like accommodation, health insurance covers and others benefits. The corporate chefs are responsible for preparing meals and other food items for corporate and business events. The salary for skilled and experienced professionals, is between US$50,000 to US$ 90,000!! Generally, the executive chefs in corporate firms are the ones who have many years of work experience. Salaries in the range of US$70,000 to US$90,000 are possible after a chef has invested few years in this field.

Being a chef is definitely a challenging job. While love for cooking and food are prerequisites for becoming a chef, but an individual has to be completely dedicated in this field. Though the salary can be a criterion for choosing this career, love for good food and a passion for cooking should be the foremost criterion for choosing this field, and not because of the monetary benefits. Remember, you can succeed in any field if you are passionate about your work.