salaries

my 12 year old daughter is doing a project for school and needs information on salaries for chefs. can you provide a general range for starting salaries and experienced chefs in the northeast region of the united states? if that is too specific, how about the salaries for chefs in the united states in general? thanks

[ChefRon]

It varies of course, but in Michigan the average is about $50,000 to $60,000 plus benefits for a good executive chef. When I say "good" I am referring to hotel or country club chefs, not restaurant chefs per se. You see, hotels are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and late night room service), so the kitchen operates longer. Aditionally, hotels cater to transient business executives from many cultural backgrounds. Hence many hotels offer everything from sushi (Japanese cuisine) to grits with breakfast. Hence hotel chefs must have a more thorough knowledge of cuisines than restaurant chefs. Also, hotels usually have their own pastry chefs, bakers, meat cutters and so forth. The executive chef must at least know as much as those he (she) supervises.

Country clubs are generally non-profit organizations, so they can afford higher salaries for former hotel chefs that can offer the membership more variety and diversity.

Restaurant chefs are not necessarily as skilled as their hotel counterparts as restaurants run the same menu day in and day out, year after year. They do this so they will not confuse their patrons with excessive change. While they do change menus (usually quarterly; a Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter offering), the entire menu is not changed; just a few items. Hence restaurant chefs tend to get "stuck" preparing a few items extremely well.

Last, I should point out that hotels and clubs are also big on buffets, these ranging from Sunday Brunch to Thanksgiving or Christmas themes. Hence hotel chefs are expected to be fluent in ice sculpture and set piece arrangements that restaurant chefs rarely if ever produce. Because hotels have ballrooms and meeting rooms, they are able to feed thousands of patrons at one time, and in many cases multiple banquets may be run simultaneously. This requires a chef that can administrate and organize a very large staff under tight time constraints.

Finally, because hotels are so big and employ so many people, the staffs in these kitchens are generally unionized. Hence hotel chefs have to have political skills in dealing with troublesome union rules and problem union employees. Given that, I'd dare say most hotel chefs are underpaid! I have heard of some hotel chefs who make over $70,000, but these are usually men or women who have been in place for over a decade.

Whatever Ron

I hear you, Bri... whatever Ron.

Last time I looked Charlie Trotter, Wolfgang Puck, Joachim Splichal, Joyce Goldstein, Elka Gilmore, Paul Kahan, Jean Joho, Vong, Chris Stoye,... etc, etc etc weren't working at country clubs or Hotels. Nor am I. Restaurant chefs are generally not as skilled as hotel chefs? I think you need to get out a bit more. Eat out more often, as they say, and not at a hotel. I must say I was a tad offended by your comments. I do think I know what you were trying to say.. but didn't quite get it. these people possess an incredible amount of talent, skill and business savy.. last time I looked.

[ChefRon]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone. I think being a chef is as much administrative as it is culinary. Surely Wolfagang and others are great at both cookery and administration, but I was referring to Southeast Michigan: we are not exactly the culinary capitol of the US! Most 'chefs' in this market are into casual dining, except for clubs and hotels like the Ritz Carlton for example. These are where higher salaries are offered and that was the question; a matter of salaries.

Yes, I do need to get out more, but to my knowledege there is only one 5 star restaurant in Michigan and I simply can't afford it. Nevertheless, I really don't see how you guys can compare a free standing restaurant to a casino or major hotel in terms of administrative duties, labor costs, union issues and multiple banquets! Which brings me to another point: as chefs climb the ladder they seem to get more involved with spread sheets and systems and less involved with cookery. Don't you agree? That's a different level of skill that is just as important, if not perhaps more so.

The definition of a really "good" chef is one that satifies the P&L. By that definition, surely Wolfgang is a better culinarian, but Ray Krock (I think that's the name), the founder of McDonald's, is vastly more successful. Let's face it, cooking is not rocket science. Anyone can earn a five star rating: the difficulty is in maintaining it. In this age food costs, labor costs, employee relations and profitability are the key measures of success. The "best chef" is the one who keeps his owners wealthy, not the one that makes the best soup or has the finest presentations. Watch the stock market and see what kind of rating the great culinarians are getting from investors. It's not a pretty picture.