How To Become A Chef/Kitchen Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chef/kitchen manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The chef/kitchen manager supervises the kitchen staff and every activity in the kitchen. You are responsible for managing the food storage and inventory and ensuring adherence to the restaurant's safety and cleanliness standards. Also, you will be in charge of the food preparation and the customer services to make sure the customers are satisfied. Furthermore, you will be required to oversee the kitchen staff training, scheduling their shift, working with the restaurant manager to create the menu list, pricing, and quantity of each meal.

To be functional at your job as a chef/kitchen manager, you should be able to multitask, manage conflict, work extensively, and plan menus. You should also know a variety of recipes, have team management and organization skills. There is no particular degree required for this job, but a degree in restaurant manager or certification in culinary school is preferable. You must also be licensed or certified to show your understanding of kitchen safety and health regulation.

As a chef/kitchen manager, your average salary per annum is $48,583. It also ranges from $38,000 to $61,000, depending on the company you're working with.

ScoreChef/Kitchen ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,415

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.1

Growth Rate 15%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 6.32%

Black or African American 10.89%

Hispanic or Latino 16.69%

Unknown 5.25%

White 60.00%

Gender

female 20.14%

male 79.86%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress Level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.5

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chef/kitchen manager

Explore chef/kitchen manager education requirements

Most common chef/kitchen manager degrees

Associate

45.6 %

Bachelor's

24.6 %

High School Diploma

17.4 %

Start to develop specific chef/kitchen manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Operations	22.64%
Culinary	20.39%
Wine	7.61%
Quality Standards	5.19%
Guest Satisfaction	3.89%

Complete relevant chef/kitchen manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chef/kitchen managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chef/kitchen manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chef/kitchen manager resumes.

Gain additional chef/kitchen manager certifications

Chef/kitchen manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chef/kitchen manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chef/kitchen managers include ServSafe Alcohol and Food Safety Manager Certification.

More About Certifications

Research chef/kitchen manager duties and responsibilities

Manage operations, orderings, and inventorying using POS & software programs.
Train and manage all kitchen personnel and supervise as well as coordinated all relate culinary activities.
Practice excellent food safety and sanitation practices and comply with HACCP standards.
Work both saut and roasting stations.

Prepare your chef/kitchen manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chef/kitchen manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chef/kitchen manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Chef/Kitchen Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Chef/Kitchen Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Chef/Kitchen Manager resume.

Apply for chef/kitchen manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a chef/kitchen manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do chef/kitchen managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

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2 Stars

1 Star

Chef/Kitchen Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

Design & creating food making customer happy cooking every area as line, prep, steam, broil, grill, creating comfort food desserts and catering. Ordering and managing a kitchen

Cons

Nothing to complain about love being a chef

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019