Occupation Summary

Chefs and Head Cooks

O*NET 35-1011.00

Description:

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.

Annual Wages:
$52,952.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 19.79%.
Education Level:
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree). According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Business and Industry

  1. Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
  2. Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
  3. Check the quantity and quality of received products.
  4. Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
  5. Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
  6. Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
  7. Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.
  8. Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
  9. Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
  10. 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.
  11. Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
  12. Prepare and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.
  13. Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.
  14. Recruit and hire staff, such as cooks and other kitchen workers.
  15. Meet with customers to discuss menus for special occasions, such as weddings, parties, or banquets.
  16. Demonstrate new cooking techniques or equipment to staff.
  17. Meet with sales representatives to negotiate prices or order supplies.
  18. Arrange for equipment purchases or repairs.
  19. Record production or operational data on specified forms.
  20. Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel.
  21. Coordinate planning, budgeting, or purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Chefs and Head Cooks employed Annual Growth Rate
Restaurants and other eating places 51.1 0.53
Special food services 11.4 0.05
Traveler accommodation 8.8 0.64
Other amusement and recreation industries 5.4 1.11
Elementary and secondary schools 2.5 0.00
Continuing care, assisted living facilities 2.3 2.52


Labor Market Information


2023 Statewide average hourly wage $25.46
2023 National average hourly wage $30.12
2022 National employment 174,400
2022 Texas employment 18,116
Texas projected employment by 2032 21,702
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 2,699




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Food Production
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
93.80%
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.
82.80%
Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
80.80%
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.
80.60%
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.
79.20%
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
77.80%
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.
77.20%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
74.40%
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
72.40%
Economics and Accounting
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
70.40%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
80.00%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
77.60%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
77.60%
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
77.60%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
75.00%
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.
75.00%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
72.40%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
72.40%
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
72.40%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
67.60%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
80.00%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
80.00%
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 that there is a problem.
80.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
80.00%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
77.60%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
75.00%
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).
72.40%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
70.00%
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.
67.60%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
67.60%


  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    -- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Developing and Building Teams
    -- Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Coaching and Developing Others
    -- Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Training and Teaching Others
    -- Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Other Activities


  • 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.



Tools

Blast freezers: Blast chillers;

Cappuccino or espresso machines: Cappuccino makers;

Carbonated beverage dispenser: Carbonated beverage dispensers;

Commercial use barbeque ovens: Braziers;

Commercial use blenders: Blenders;

Commercial use broilers: Broilers; Salamanders;

Commercial use coffee grinders: Commercial coffee grinders;

Commercial use coffee or iced tea makers: Commercial coffeemakers;

Commercial use convection ovens: Convection ovens;

Commercial use conveyer toasters: Conveyer ovens;

Commercial use cutlery: Chefs' knives; Bone saws; Boning knives; Kitchen shears; Oyster knives; Paring knives; Serrated blade knives;

Commercial use deep fryers: Electric deep-fat fryers; Gas-powered deep-fat fryers;

Commercial use dishwashers: Commercial dishwashers;

Commercial use food choppers or cubers or dicers: Food dicers;

Commercial use food grinders: Meat grinders;

Commercial use food processors: Food processors;

Commercial use food slicers: Bread slicers; Meat slicers; Slicing machines;

Commercial use food warmers: Steam tables;

Commercial use graters: Plane graters; Box graters; Fruit zesters; Food shredders;

Commercial use griddles: Griddles;

Commercial use grills: Grills;

Commercial use heat lamps: Infrared heat lamps;

Commercial use high pressure steamers: Pressurized steam cookers;

Commercial use hot dog grills: Hot dog cookers;

Commercial use icing sets or bags: Cake decorating tools;

Commercial use juicers: Juice extractors;

Commercial use measuring cups: Dry or liquid measuring cups;

Commercial use microwave ovens: Commercial microwave ovens;

Commercial use mixers: Mixers;

Commercial use pasta machines: Pasta machines;

Commercial use peelers: Vegetable peelers;

Commercial use pizza ovens: Pizza ovens;

Commercial use ranges: Gas ovens; Gas stoves; Electric ovens; Electric stoves;

Commercial use rice cookers: Rice cookers;

Commercial use rolling pins: Rolling pins;

Commercial use rotisseries: Rotisserie units;

Commercial use scales: Portion scales;

Commercial use smokers or smoke ovens: Food smokers;

Commercial use steamers: Steam kettles;

Commercial use toasters: Toasters;

Commercial use waffle irons: Waffle makers;

Commercial use woks: Woks;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Domestic apple corer: Apple corers;

Domestic double boilers: Double boilers;

Domestic garnishing tools: Parisian cutters;

Domestic kitchen or food thermometers: Meat thermometers; Instant-read pocket thermometers; Refrigerator thermometers;

Domestic kitchen tongs: Kitchen tongs;

Domestic knife sharpeners: Knife sharpeners;

Domestic mandolin: Mandolines;

Domestic melon or butter baller: Melon ballers;

Domestic sifter: Sifters;

Domestic strainers or colanders: Sieves; Strainers;

Domestic trash compactors: Garbage compactors;

Domestic vegetable brush: Vegetable brushes;

Domestic whipped cream maker: Cream whippers;

Fire blankets: Fire suppression blankets;

Fire extinguishers: Kitchen fire extinguishers;

Ice dispensers: Ice-making machines;

Ice shaver machines or accessories: Ice shaving or crushing equipment;

Non carbonated beverage dispenser: Juice dispensers;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;


Technology

Analytical or scientific software: Axxya Systems Nutritionist Pro; GNOME Gnutrition; IPro Restaurant Inventory, Recipe & Menu Software; Nutrition analysis software;

Data base user interface and query software: ReServe Interactive; Menu planning software; Barrington Software CookenPro Commercial; CostGuard; Culinary Software Services ChefTec; EGS CALCMENU;

Desktop publishing software: SoftCafe MenuPro;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook; Email software;

Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Sage MAS 90 ERP;

Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology;

Instant messaging software: GroupMe;

Internet browser software: Internet browser software;

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Enggist & Grandjean EGS F&B Control;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel; Google Sheets;

Time accounting software: ADP eTIME;

Web page creation and editing software: Facebook;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Chefs and Head Cooks include:
  • 51-3011.00 Bakers
  • 35-2012.00 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
  • 35-2013.00 Cooks, Private Household
  • 35-2014.00 Cooks, Restaurant
  • 35-2015.00 Cooks, Short Order
  • 29-2051.00 Dietetic Technicians
  • 35-1012.00 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
  • 51-3092.00 Food Batchmakers
  • 11-9051.00 Food Service Managers
  • 35-3031.00 Waiters and Waitresses


Sources of Additional Information
  • Visit Apprenticeship.gov to search for information about apprenticeship opportunities.
  • For more information about chefs, including a directory of 2-year and 4-year colleges that offer culinary courses or training programs, visit: American Culinary Federation
  • National Restaurant Association
  • For information about certification, contact your state or local licensing board or a professional association.
  • CareerOneStop

  • For a career video on chefs and head cooks, visit: Chefs and Head Cooks
  • Chefs and Head Cooks

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.