Chef question

MoparMike

MoparMike

Forum Member
Does anyone on here work as a chef? and not one at the local Coney Island, but a professional chef.

How much would a starting salary out of a culinary school be?
Average salary of professional chefs?
How is the work?

My little brother is obsessed w/ the chefs on Food TV and thinks that all chefs make a whole lot of money and will become famous.

Nothing against it, but I think there may be something else out there which he may have more opportunity and still enjoy.

It would be nice to see him with a good degree/ career like the rest of my family.
 
i know the experienced line cooks made 12-13 and hour when i was cooking, the head chef/kitchen manager made around 16. this was at bullfrogs in ortonville. i made 8 but didnt know dick but what they taught me. i was a dishwasher for 2 weeks then they did some serious housecleaning and needed somebody to help cook, so thats how i started. this was back in 01 so maybe they are making more now. i also cooked at a country club part time as i was on the cart staff, and my car habit at that age ate up most of my funds. the head chef at the country club made significantly more, but not really sure on exact figures, but then again, they are usually damn amazing chefs.
 
Thanks guys!

Those pay rates are really not what I want for my little brother... Hopefully I can talk to him and get him interested in something else
 
At the two restaurants I have worked at, I don't know of one happy chef that ever worked besides one! The work is very very very intense. Long hours, and you have the success of the restaurant depending upon you, and the food quality. You have to have the right personal and product to work with too.

You have to start from the bottom and work your way up too, you just don't become executive chef.
 
My wife was a culinary arts major for awhile, its about having a passion for it, not the money, if he really wants to be a chef let him know he will almost always be broke, and unless he is great, he will never have job security. Dont necessarily crush his dreams, i could make more money doing other types of work, but i love my job, and that means more to me then the money (to an extent) My wife wants me to add if he became a pastry/candy chef he could make some coin, but he would have to work at a very fancy place, and be great at it
 
ya i forgot to mention the intensity, for a few hours every night your are running at 150% just trying to keep up. and when it slows down, well they start cutting kitchen staff to try and keep the kitchen cost down. friday nights at a sports bar and grill were intense all hell would be breaking loose and your trying sooo fucking hard to keep up, then all of a sudden the ticket counter starts going beserk and doesnt stop until it hits the floor, and your like o shit its going to take like 45 min to catch back up. i wish i could go back once in a while to do it for fun just because it was sooo intense.
 
88ls1blazer said:
My wife was a culinary arts major for awhile, its about having a passion for it, not the money, if he really wants to be a chef let him know he will almost always be broke, and unless he is great, he will never have job security. Dont necessarily crush his dreams, i could make more money doing other types of work, but i love my job, and that means more to me then the money (to an extent) My wife wants me to add if he became a pastry/candy chef he could make some coin, but he would have to work at a very fancy place, and be great at it
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Maybe it is because he is young, but honestly he is not that good, but he does have a passion. He cannot bake at all... so maybe pastry is not for him.

I dont really want to destroy his dream, but maybe just make him come see reality. He doesn't fit in w/ the rest of the family, we all are working towards good paying professional jobs(Physical therapy, Engineering, Marketing). More than anything I would want him to have a great career that has opportunity for advancement and can support himself and someday family.
 
A good friend of mine is a brilliant chef, went to cullinary school out east. Has worked at the Whitney, Rattlesnake, and the Ponchetrain (sp) over the last 8-9 years. As a line cook, you make small money $10-13/hr. His last position I was aware of he was the assistant to the executive chef and got a 200% raise. So basically once the establishment recognizes you as a value and promotes you, then your making decent coin. Until then, its sunday morning breakfast on the omlette line.
 
MoparMike said:
Thanks guys!

Those pay rates are really not what I want for my little brother... Hopefully I can talk to him and get him interested in something else
Click to expand...

You can make 100k + if you work in a top restaurant in a city like NYC, you bust your ass but like anything if you're good and you love your job you can make money..if you are a jack off you won't.


You should help him get a job at a fine dining establishment, then he can see for himself......food service isn't for everyone, but you can always get a job.
 
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