Starting Pay for Chefs

[lukeygina]

Hey everyone! Every now and again I have come back here to see whats up but FINALLY I have began my future as a chef. As most of you would not know, my uncle is a well known chef and has done it all and owns his own place. Well he decided to open a new restaurant and that's when I decided college sucks and it's time to work on the things that have worked for me: cooking.

So anyway I am lucky enough to have recieved a position in his restaurant as starting as pantry chef and I am learning it all. He thought that was best to do before Culinary School (CIA).

Anywho I am fortunate enough to work with 4 CIA grads basically draining their 50k education for free! I have been working for about 2 weeks now and already I'm jumping on the line working my way up.

ANYWAY, my question for all of you is, what should I be looking at as far as hourly pay? I have about 4 years experience in the kitchen but obviously am not a chef more of a good line cook. I feel I should be somewhere in the 12-20 range.

Am I way off or what?

[lukeygina]

Oh I am NOT recieving benefits of any kind other than the education I am learning and **** I have a notebook that I write in every night kind of a journal/recipes book. It's amazing how hands on can make you learn so much!

[kuan]

$20 is high but it all depends on location. In smaller towns it's not uncommon for starting pay to be $0.50 above minimum wage.

[dano1]

Originally Posted by kuan

$20 is high but it all depends on location. In smaller towns it's not uncommon for starting pay to be $0.50 above minimum wage.

unfortunately true for many larger towns also....

[Pete]

When I lived in Chicago most all cooks that I knew were under $12 with an average being around $9.50 for more experienced cooks and $7.50-8 for less experienced cooks.

[Mikeb]

Up here starting wage is 9-10 dollars per hour, 10-14 for experienced cooks. 12-20 sounds very high for starting pay, a sous-chef would be very lucky to be making 20 an hour around here...

[paul]

Pete and MikeB sound like they are in the right range.
I'm a bit more generous, at times, though: I've been known to offer $10 more than the average to an inexperienced chef because her breasts were bigger than my pair of woks imported from China

[kuan]

That may be Paul, but maybe you shouldn't publicize that. Think of this forum as an open kitchen.

[Pete]

Don't know that that is something I'd be advertising or proud of!!!!

[chefphilhahn]

Wow

[Txacoli]

We are constantly plagued by guys like Paul: one short-lived competitor was paying $25 per hour for hotties he would meet in coffee bars. He passed the cost on to his clients, somehow. He has recently moved to Columbus, so look out, Ohio.

We were stuck one time, and hired a passle of his workers at his prices. Some were actually good, and continue to work for us at $15....but they don't work all the time. The guys that work everyday, all the time, 60 hours... are in the $10-15 range. And prep is $8 to 10.

Be grateful.....my sous chef is Spain right now, fighting for a spot on the line at a one-star. He lives in a tiny room with four dudes, all with ten years experience at high level places......and he is paid 8eu per day. To get into a three-star, you have to commit to a year of that, minimum.

Ultimate irony: the really hot workers my former competitor was lusting after.......all shopping on the other side of the aisle. There is a god, and she has a sense of humor.

[danimalarkey]

I have a question about this, one seeking some clarification.

Starting cooks make $8/hour. Is this an actual per hour rate, meaning if I were to work 60 hours, I'd make $460, or even 80 and make $640?

Or, is the $8/hour figure based on an annual salary, meaning that I'd bring home $320/week, no matter how many hours I work?

OR, or, does this differ from place to place?

Sorry if this seems like a bone-headed question, but I just want to know what to expect.


thanks,
dan

[Pete]

$8 an hour, means just that, $8 an hour. If you work 40 hours you get paid $320 and if you work 20 hours you get paid $160. But don't forget 1 and half for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. Many states nowadays have laws regulating who can be paid a "salary". This is to keep unscrupulous operators from paying low salaries and working employees 60-80 hours a week. In most states now, to be paid a salary you must supervise people and/or spend a certain portion of your day doing administrative duties.

[vertigo]

i want 20 an hour...

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Pete

In most states now, to be paid a salary you must supervise people and/or spend a certain portion of your day doing administrative duties.

If you do the schedule while plating a banquet does it count as supervising and administrative?