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Skilled Trades

Cooks, Private Household

Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.

Median salary (BLS)

$47,940

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $91k

Job outlook

+5% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 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 Cooks, Private Household

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Cooks, Private Household" — 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

  1. Junior Cooks, Private Household

    Entry / Junior

    $36,090

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Cooks, Private Household

    Established

    $47,940

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Cooks, Private Household

    Senior

    $69,535

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
  • •Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
  • •Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
  • •Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
  • •Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.