Summary Report for:
35-1011.00 - 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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Chef, Cook, Executive Chef, Banquet Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Head Cook, Pastry Chef, Food and Beverage Director
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks
- Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
- Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
- Check the quantity and quality of received products.
- Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
- Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
- Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.
- Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
- Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
- Collaborate with other personnel to plan and develop recipes or menus, taking into account such factors as seasonal availability of ingredients or the likely number of customers.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Commercial use cutlery — Chefs' knives; Oyster knives; Paring knives; Serrated blade knives |
| Commercial use food slicers — Bread slicers; Mandolines; Meat slicers; Slicing machines |
| Commercial use graters — Box graters; Food shredders; Fruit zesters; Plane graters |
| Commercial use ranges — Electric ovens; Electric stoves; Gas ovens; Gas stoves |
| Domestic kitchen or food thermometers — Instant-read pocket thermometers; Meat thermometers; Refrigerator thermometers |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Analytical or scientific software — Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro software; Food Software.com IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software; GNOME Gnutrition *; Nutrition analysis software |
| Data base user interface and query software — Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial; CostGuard software; Culinary Software Services ChefTec; ReServe Interactive Table Management Software |
| Electronic mail software — Email software |
| Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Sage MAS 90 ERP |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.
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Knowledge
| Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
| Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. |
| Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Personnel and Human Resources — Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems. |
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Skills
| Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Management of Personnel Resources — Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job. |
| Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
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Abilities
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
| Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem. |
| Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
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Work Activities
| Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. |
| Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money. |
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Work Context
| Spend Time Standing — How much does this job require standing? |
| Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? |
| Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? |
| Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — How much does this job require making repetitive motions? |
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Education |
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| Related Experience |
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. |
| Job Training |
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. |
| Job Zone Examples |
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include food service managers, electricians, agricultural technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents. |
| SVP Range |
(6.0 to < 7.0) |
There are 4 recognized apprenticeable specialties associated with this occupation:
Cook, Pastry; Cook, Pastry (Hotel & Restaurant); Baker (Hotel and Restaurant); Chief, Cook (Water Transportation)
To learn about specific apprenticeship opportunities, please consult the U.S. Department of Labor State Apprenticeship Information
website.
For general information about apprenticeships, training, and partnerships with
business, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship
website.
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Education
Percentage of Respondents |
Education Level Required |
39   |
High school diploma or equivalent |
| 27 |
Associate's degree |
| 20 |
Less than high school diploma |
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Interests
Interest code: ERA
| Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
| Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules. |
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Work Styles
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. |
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Work Values
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status. |
| Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
| Median wages (2012) |
$20.42 hourly, $42,480 annual |
| Employment (2010) |
101,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2010-2020) |
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
|
| Projected job openings (2010-2020) |
18,000 |
| Top industries (2010) |
|
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 wage data
and 2010-2020 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
Find Jobs
for Chefs and Head Cooks
State & National Job Banks
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Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Chefs and Head Cooks
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.
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Green
Bright Outlook
