[rice_is_nice]

Hi im doing a report on jobs and i need some help with this

how many years does a chef work before he can retire on average?
what kind of retirement benefits do you get on average?
if anyone can help me it would be apreciated.

[jpdchef]

you're kidding,right?

[LogghiB]

You have three options:

1. Find a good financial advisor and talk about it. Don't expect a good answer.
2. Work until you die.
3. Get your own restaurant, invest in some primo insurance policies and burn it down before running off to retire on a farm in Mexico with one of your dishwasher accomplices.

[David Chenelle]

The above two responses are quite acurate. Sorry to tell you this but Chefs are still considered to be servile positions in this country. In other words not many places have a "retirement plan" for chefs. Cheffing is categorized as a fine art. So as the curse of being in an art goes there isn't any planned retirement benefits for the most part. Many of the large Hotel chains do offer a 401-k but that is about it. When I went through apprenticeship many Chefs told me that it wasn't uncommon that Chefs actually died on the job. I personally know many Chefs that can't afford to leave the business even at 70+ years of age. One of these Chefs actually fed several Presidents and many dignitaries in the international scene. Sooo, my starry eyed little apprentice; go figure.
David Chenelle

[Mikeb]

Retirement? Benefits? Is this a joke?

I pay for everything out of my own pocket. Health, dental, life, etc... As far as retirement goes, I'm investing my own money. My employer pays for nothing other than my basic salary. In most restaurants it works like this. Hotels might offer some benefits (however I've never worked in one).

[Chef_Bob]

Dear Rice is Nice

Can you tell you have hit a bit of a sore point. The profession can be devided up into a few catagories of "Chefs"

The Restaurant Chef: Working for small indipendant owners generally means no benifits of any type. The smart ones create their own retierment plan and retire when finances allow

The Hotel Chef: As stated by a few this is the one place where you will get some sort of package

Chef/owner: As with any self employed situation your best retierment plan is to build up a value in your business so you can sell it for a god profit when you wan out.

The Corporate Chef: If you decide to sell out your artistic sole you can work for a food manufacture or distributor in sales. probabally the best packages and pay in the industry but a very different world that does not really compare to the traditional idea of being a chef (for the record I fall into this catagory)

There are a million littel sub catagories but I think most people who get paid to cook food every day fall some place close to one of these.

Did I miss anything gang?

[cheflayne]

"Chef/owner: As with any self employed situation your best retierment plan is to build up a value in your business so you can sell it for a god profit when you wan out."
Good in theory, that is the one that I went on. In practise, for me at any rate, after 12 years with increasing sales and profits, nobody wanted to buy my restaurant. Gave it a year and a half. Saw same thing happen to another chef/owner. No guarantees. Most potential chef/owners want to create their own place not buy someone else's. I know I did.
"2. Work until you die." My current plan. Probably die at the stove.