Executive Chef Job Description

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Overview

executive chef
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Steps to start your career as an Executive Chef (and similar roles)

  • Start by making sure cooking is something you genuinely enjoy. Try new recipes at home, watch behind-the-scenes cooking videos, and get familiar with kitchen basics like chopping, seasoning, and food safety. This is your time to build confidence and figure out if a culinary path feels right.
  • Going to culinary school or getting certified will give you a big advantage versus those that are self taught or have solely learned on the job. You’ll learn professional techniques, kitchen safety, and how a real kitchen runs—all of which make you more prepared (and hireable) when applying for jobs.
  • Start working in restaurants, even if it’s just as a dishwasher or prep cook. Every job teaches you something valuable about how kitchens operate. The more time you spend in a fast-paced kitchen, the more you’ll grow your skills and prove yourself as someone who can handle the pressure.
  • As you gain experience, take on more responsibility and stay curious. Watch how the chefs work, ask questions, and volunteer to help wherever you can. With time and effort, you’ll move from entry-level roles to more advanced positions and find your place in the culinary world.
Hear from someone who’s had the job or one like it
"A young chef shares how they went from doubting their skills to thriving in the kitchen, opening up about overcoming nerves, learning on the job, connecting with people, and finding joy (and tips!) in cooking."
Career video summary
Examples of Current Open Executive Chef Positions
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  • What skills do Executive Chefs need?

    These are the most commonly mentioned skills in job descriptions for Executive Chef jobs and are ordered by most to least common.

    Employers are increasingly more focused on skill requirements. Make sure you are developing or have some of the most common skills for this role.

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    Education you need to become an Executive Chef

    These are the most common degrees or certificates earned by Jobtrees users prior to becoming an Executive Chef

    There may be other required degrees or certifications needed for this job. The below info shows you the most commonly desired education level from employers when hiring for this job.

    • Associate Degree in Culinary Arts
      Avg. Duration:20 monthsAvg. Fees:$12,666Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
    • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Physics Educa...
      Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$28,739Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
    • Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in General Studi...
      Avg. Duration:45 monthsAvg. Fees:$23,007Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
    • Bachelor of Science (b.sc.) in Culinary ...
      Avg. Duration:48 monthsAvg. Fees:$19,200Type:Mostly full timeView more on Studyportals
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    Annual Pay Estimate for Executive Chef and Other Important Info

    See how many years Executive Chef's are in their job, how much they make, how long it took to get there and how available this job is in terms of open positions.

    4.8 years
    $73K
    3.75 years
    Senior
    4
    1046 out of 3997

    Top Companies Hiring for Executive Chef

    Below are the companies with the highest amount of open jobs for this role right now.

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    Number of Jobs: 1284
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    Number of Jobs: 103
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    Number of Jobs: 75
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    Number of Jobs: 58
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    Number of Jobs: 38
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    Connect and Share

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    Career Paths for Executive Chef

    Find data driven insights on the path to get to this role and where it can lead

    Jobs to start your career in becoming an Executive Chef

    These are the most common roles Jobtrees users had to start their career that eventually lead them to Executive Chef. If you’re looking to get into this career these are jobs to consider to get your start. We’ve included below some current open job postings that match those roles. Click to search for more.

    This is the most common and direct path to Executive Chef based on our users' career history

    This is the most common singular path based on our users' career history that leads to Executive Chef. See more potential paths to this role with our pathfinder tool.
    https://image.jobtrees.com/roles/Chef.jpg
    Chef$41K
    https://image.jobtrees.com/roles/Executive+Chef.jpg
    Executive Chef$73K
    27Times This Path Taken
    Check in Pathfinder
    Where the Executive Chef career path goes
    The jobs shown above Executive Chef are the most common ones Jobtrees users had after being an Executive Chef
    chef
    Chef
      sous chef
      Sous Chef
        personal chef
        Personal Chef
          general manager
          General Manager
            culinary arts director
            Culinary Arts Director
              executive chef
              Tap for Interactive Jobtree

              Jobs within the same job hierarchy as Executive Chef

              The jobs below are at the same role Level, Senior level and in the same job hierarchy, Food/Beverage as Executive Chef. See the other types of roles you will interact with and consider them for future career targets as well.
              Find inspiration for other jobs you can target, build expectations on how long it can take to move between levels, and the other types of jobs you will get exposure to working in this discipline.
              executive chef
              PRIMARY ROLE
              Executive Chef
              Average Time: 4.8
              DETAILS
              personal chef
              Personal Chef
              Average Time: 10.8
              DETAILS
              assistant restaurant manager
              Assistant Restaurant Manager
              Average Time: 4.8
              DETAILS
              chef instructor
              Chef Instructor
              Average Time: 7.5
              DETAILS
              catering director
              Catering Director
              Average Time: 5.1
              DETAILS
              restaurant general manager
              Restaurant General Manager
              Average Time: 5.6
              DETAILS
              banquet captain
              Banquet Captain
              Average Time: 6.5
              DETAILS
              executive pastry chef
              Executive Pastry Chef
              Average Time: 4.7
              DETAILS
              chef de cuisine
              Chef De Cuisine
              Average Time: 4.3
              DETAILS
              food director
              Food Director
              Average Time: 5.3
              DETAILS
              winemaker
              Winemaker
              Average Time: 7.6
              DETAILS
              culinary arts director
              Culinary Arts Director
              Average Time: 6.7
              DETAILS
              restaurant manager
              Restaurant Manager
              Average Time: 5.0
              DETAILS
              food service director
              Food Service Director
              Average Time: 5.9
              DETAILS
              Visit the hierarchy page to see jobs at all levels within this job hierarchy

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