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

What is a chef/owner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Patti Stobaugh

The job of a chef is highly coveted as it's become mainstream over the years. Shows like Top Chef and master chefs like Gordon Ramsey, have inspired many people to pursue the profession. But the job isn't all gourmet meals and glamor. Chefs often have to work at odd hours preparing meals for consumption by customers.

Someone in a chef/owner role will also be responsible for coordinating a kitchen and other chefs to ensure the food is prepared according to standards and dishes in a visually appealing manner. They also supervise hygiene and keep the kitchen up to health codes. Depending on the establishment's size, a chef/owner may also have to supervise ingredient purchase and quality.

To become a professional chef, you need to attend a culinary school and have relevant experience. It also requires a strong work ethic and perseverance, especially in restaurants that get lots of hungry customers.

What general advice would you give to a Chef/Owner?

Patti Stobaugh

Owner, PattiCakes Bakery and Stoby's Restaurant

Being humble and willing to learn will take you far in your career, not just in the beginning. If you have the desire to open your own food service business, go to work for a business that has a great reputation. That will give you the opportunity to learn so much.

ScoreChef/OwnerUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,199

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.2

Growth Rate 15%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 9.76%

Black or African American 10.31%

Hispanic or Latino 16.80%

Unknown 5.60%

White 56.65%

Gender

female 28.26%

male 71.74%

Age - 41

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 - 41

Stress Level

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

0.2

Work Life balance is

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chef/owner

Explore chef/owner education requirements

Most common chef/owner degrees

Associate

45.4 %

Bachelor's

35.5 %

High School Diploma

6.7 %

Start to develop specific chef/owner skills

Skills	Percentages
Menu Planning	25.33%
Kitchen Equipment	16.43%
Cuisine	5.48%
Payroll	5.45%
Food Preparation	4.99%

Complete relevant chef/owner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chef/owners 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/owner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chef/owner resumes.

Gain additional chef/owner certifications

Chef/owner 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/owner certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chef/owners include Certified Food Manager (CFM) and Food Safety Manager Certification.

More About Certifications

Research chef/owner duties and responsibilities

Participate and train staff and colleagues to accomplish different level of ACF certification CEC, CEPC.
Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
Establish and operate an historic inn including a 40 seat restaurant offering French/California inspire cuisine focuse on seasonal local ingredient menus.
Insure that students understand the depth and scope of all class materials as outlined in the syllabus.

Prepare your chef/owner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chef/owner 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/owner 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/Owner Resume templates

Build a professional Chef/Owner 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/Owner resume.

Apply for chef/owner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a chef/owner 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/owners rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Chef/Owner 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