Creative & Media
Chef
Chefs design menus, cook, and lead kitchen teams under pressure. A hands-on creative craft with long hours, low automation risk, and a wide range of outcomes.
Median salary (BLS)
$56,000
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$35k – $110k
Job outlook
+8% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $91,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Chef
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Culinary school helps; many rise through kitchen experience.
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
EstimateCost to qualify
$8,000–$22,000
Time to qualify
2 yr
Renewal
—
- 1
Associate degree (community college)
DegreeTwo years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.
$8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source
Estimated typical U.S. route for "Chef" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.
Typical progression
Junior Chef
Entry / Junior
$35,000
~2 yrs to advance
Chef
Established
$56,000
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Chef
Senior
$83,000
Key skills
A typical day
- •Plan menus and prep
- •Cook on the line
- •Manage kitchen staff
Fields of study
Culinary Arts
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.