What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Chefs and Head Cooks in the U.S. earn more than $62,470 a year — the middle 80% land between $37,900 and $98,560. About 200,040 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Chefs and Head Cooks”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Service and sales workers earn about ₹15,575 a month on average — around ₹1.9 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$62,470typical pay / year
200,040people in this work
$98,560+top 10% earn
₹1.9 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Move1
Order food and supplies
+Create this week's order for produce, dairy, dry goods and cleaning supplies to cover 450 covers, prioritise…
Order food and supplies
+Create this week's order for produce, dairy, dry goods and cleaning supplies to cover 450 covers, prioritise local suppliers for perishables, set two-day delivery and charge limits, then send to purchasing for approval by Wednesday morning.
The tools that do the workCostGuardjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Protecting1
Monitor sanitation practices
+Run the sanitation checklist for all prep and dish stations from last three shifts, highlight any temperature…
Monitor sanitation practices
+Run the sanitation checklist for all prep and dish stations from last three shifts, highlight any temperature or cleaning misses, assign corrective actions to line cooks with 24-hour deadlines and notify the operations manager.
The tools that do the workCulinary Software Services ChefTecjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Analysing3
Oversee daily food preparation
+Confirm mise en place schedules for all stations for tonight's service for 300 covers, reallocate staff to…
Oversee daily food preparation
+Confirm mise en place schedules for all stations for tonight's service for 300 covers, reallocate staff to reduce grill backlog, note any prep shortfalls and circulate the adjusted station plan to the team before service.
The tools that do the workBarrington Software CookenPro Commercialjob descriptionsO*NET
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Plan menus
+Build next season's menu rotation with costed recipes for dinner service, swap high-cost proteins for two…
Plan menus
+Build next season's menu rotation with costed recipes for dinner service, swap high-cost proteins for two seasonal options to keep food cost under 30 percent, then send the draft menu and cost sheet to ownership by Friday.
The tools that do the workAxxya Systems Nutritionist Projob descriptionsWikipedia
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Check the quality of raw or cooked food
+Inspect incoming beef, fish and leafy greens on the dock, reject any with off-odour or temperature above 5°C,…
Check the quality of raw or cooked food
+Inspect incoming beef, fish and leafy greens on the dock, reject any with off-odour or temperature above 5°C, log batch numbers and supplier on the quality register, tag rejected boxes for disposal and brief the line cooks on substitutions for service.
The tools that do the workjob descriptionsO*NET
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Learning1
Train kitchen staff
+Draft a two-week training plan for the new line cooks covering knife skills, ticket times and plating…
Train kitchen staff
+Draft a two-week training plan for the new line cooks covering knife skills, ticket times and plating standards, schedule four hands-on sessions and email the calendar invite plus checklists to Maria and the sous on Monday.
The tools that do the workADP eTIMEjob descriptionsWikipedia
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The daily work14
Determine how to present dishes
+Decide how each dish will be plated, the portion sizes, and which garnish or sauce completes it for tonight’s…
Determine how to present dishes
+Decide how each dish will be plated, the portion sizes, and which garnish or sauce completes it for tonight’s dinner service, then write one paragraph explaining the front-of-house cues servers need to present each plate consistently.
The tools that do the workBarrington Software CookenPro Commercialjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
+Break down each recipe into ingredient cost, prep and cook minutes, and a reasonable labor multiplier, then…
Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
+Break down each recipe into ingredient cost, prep and cook minutes, and a reasonable labor multiplier, then produce menu prices that hit a 30 to 35 percent food cost target and note which items need price changes by Friday's menu review.
The tools that do the workCostGuardO*NET
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Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.
+Build the production schedule for Saturday dinner: list prep tasks, cook times, batch sizes, and staff…
Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.
+Build the production schedule for Saturday dinner: list prep tasks, cook times, batch sizes, and staff stations needed so tickets clear within target times and flag where I must add or shift cooks if covers exceed forecast by more than 15 percent.
The tools that do the workCulinary Software Services ChefTecO*NET
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Meet with sales representatives to negotiate prices or order supplies.
+Prepare for the supplier meeting by listing current contract prices, recent usage volumes, and quality…
Meet with sales representatives to negotiate prices or order supplies.
+Prepare for the supplier meeting by listing current contract prices, recent usage volumes, and quality issues, then write my counteroffers and minimum order quantities I will propose so we can lock terms through the end of the quarter.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Record production or operational data on specified forms.
+Complete today's production log: record batch yields, temperatures, prep start and finish times, waste…
Record production or operational data on specified forms.
+Complete today's production log: record batch yields, temperatures, prep start and finish times, waste amounts, and any equipment faults, then save the signed form to the kitchen records for inspection tomorrow.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas
+Walk the storeroom, walk-in, and line to check for cleanliness, temperatures, broken equipment, and expired…
Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas
+Walk the storeroom, walk-in, and line to check for cleanliness, temperatures, broken equipment, and expired stock, note corrective actions with responsible staff names and deadlines, and schedule repairs before the Monday health inspection.
The tools that do the workBarrington Software CookenPro Commercialjob descriptions
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Budget and handle financial aspects
+Close out last week’s food-cost report, flag any vendors over budget, update the weekly labour forecast to…
Budget and handle financial aspects
+Close out last week’s food-cost report, flag any vendors over budget, update the weekly labour forecast to cover Friday dinner service, and prepare a two-page summary for ownership by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workCostGuardWikipedia
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Ensure timely food service
+Confirm mise en place and par levels for tonight, assign stations and a back-up for expo, set run‑time…
Ensure timely food service
+Confirm mise en place and par levels for tonight, assign stations and a back-up for expo, set run‑time targets for each course, and text front‑of‑house if service will start more than five minutes late.
The tools that do the workBarrington Software CookenPro CommercialWikipedia
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Handle customer feedback related to food
+Collect this week’s guest comments, categorize complaints about temperature, seasoning, and timing, draft a…
Handle customer feedback related to food
+Collect this week’s guest comments, categorize complaints about temperature, seasoning, and timing, draft a response template offering a comp or invite back, and send the summary to the restaurant manager before opening tomorrow.
The tools that do the workFacebookWikipedia
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Store raw food materials
+Audit the dry and cold storage against par sheets, record any overripe or damaged items for disposal, rotate…
Store raw food materials
+Audit the dry and cold storage against par sheets, record any overripe or damaged items for disposal, rotate stock by FIFO, and update reorder points so the morning buyer can place orders at first light.
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Manage staff
+Build the shift roster for next week covering service peaks, allocate two training shifts for the new line…
Manage staff
+Build the shift roster for next week covering service peaks, allocate two training shifts for the new line cook, block any overtime over 40 hours, and circulate the schedule to the team by Friday noon.
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Use culinary finishing techniques
+Prepare a step‑by‑step finishing checklist for tonight’s tasting menu, list target temperatures and plating…
Use culinary finishing techniques
+Prepare a step‑by‑step finishing checklist for tonight’s tasting menu, list target temperatures and plating times for each course, brief the garde manger and station chefs ten minutes before service, and sign off when ready.
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Maintain customer service
+Handle the dining room complaint from table 12 about service speed: apologise, offer a complimentary dessert…
Maintain customer service
+Handle the dining room complaint from table 12 about service speed: apologise, offer a complimentary dessert or drink, notify line cooks to expedite remaining entrees, log the incident in the guest feedback book, and follow up with the server before closing.
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Dispose waste
+Arrange pickup of the day's food waste: weigh and bag all compostable prep scraps, label and store in the…
Dispose waste
+Arrange pickup of the day's food waste: weigh and bag all compostable prep scraps, label and store in the designated bin by 5:30 p.m., notify the waste hauler for tonight's collection, and record weights in the kitchen waste log.
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Says who?
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses