ContactMessage BoardsLinks  Home  
 
Featured Chefs
Gourmet Articles
Environmental Kitchen
Cookbook Reviews
Recipe File
The Wine Guy
Career Center
Ask Your Career Question
Job Listings
Current Articles
Career Archives
Ask An Expert
Search
Big Earners
Which Cuisine Brings In The Big Bucks?
career centerbig earners
March 2003
Did you ever wonder what cuisine or cultural food the highest paid chefs in the world have mastered?


An interesting question but the top earners in this business are not ones that specialize in one cuisine but are entrepreneurs like Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse or in the US Charlie Palmer, Emeril, Todd English and in the UK Gordon Ramsay. These guys manage to operate a multitude of restaurants, catering businesses, consultancy businesses serve as product endorsers, guest speakers, cookbook writers, make TV shows and appearances write newspaper columnists and can earn in the millions.... But they all got to where they are because they were good cooks with vision, big balls and a little bit of luck on their side.

After this type of chef some of the most highly compensated culinarians are casino chefs. A Las Vegas casino chef can earn from $150 000 to a rumored $500 000 (yes half a million) there is a restaurant chef (within a hotel) who makes more than $300,000 per annum. But most manage up to 20+ restaurants they have a big job, lots of pressure, and can lose their employment pretty quickly if things don't go right. International chefs with tax-free incomes do well, as do chef proprietors/partners. Regular hotel chefs, and chefs of high volume restaurants can pull in $80 000 - $120 000 plus bonuses.

As for specialty chefs, I do not think there is one specific style of cooking that can earn you more money than another. Italian chefs are much sought after at the moment but this could be a trend? The chefs that earn money are the ones that work under the right people whilst building their career, ones that can organized and motivate a team, handle pressure, balance the books and promote themselves well to the press and - let's not forget the key to it all - understand how to cook.

Written By: Jeremy Emmerson


What did you think of this article? Email us your feedback.

Getting A Scholarship
www.CulinarySchools.com


Top
 
 
Copyright © 2008