If the reality cooking show contests gets you all fired up, or more importantly, if you’re good in the kitchen, then a career as a cook or chef might be for you. Top chefs aren’t just born, however, they are graduates of culinary schools.

The type of career you desire in the culinary field will determine the amount of education needed. The more responsibility – and the more money you wish to make – the higher the chances you will need to complete a program in a culinary school. 

Recipe for Success?
Cooks and chefs most often began their culinary careers as assistants, fast-food cooks, short-order cooks, or food preparation workers. These positions usually require no formal education, but are most often on the job training. If you are in high school, many high schools provide culinary trade programs in basic sanitation, workplace safety, food handling, preparation, and cooking procedures. These culinary schools through trade programs may provide a certificate of completion. 

If, however you desire to own your own business or become a chef in a restaurant or hotel, most employers require at least the completion of a 2-year degree program at one of the nation’s culinary schools. Some of the nation’s culinary schools also offer 4-year degree programs in culinary arts. These longer programs will offer a continuation of sanitation, safety and food handling. These programs at culinary schools will also require a completion of basic, as well as advanced food preparation such as grilling, broiling, baking and other methods.

Students in advanced culinary school programs will also learn how to properly use kitchen equipment such as knives and other necessary tools in a professional kitchen. Most programs in culinary schools require a significant amount of actual kitchen time learning to prepare meals. Internships and apprenticeship programs are also common for graduation requirements in a culinary school.

Learning to prepare food isn’t the only requirement for students in culinary schools. Students must also take business classes such as learning to order and stock inventory, computer courses, as well as accounting courses in calculating profit and loss.

Fire Up Your Culinary Career
Americans love to dine out, and that leads to a great forecast for the growth of culinary jobs in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs in the culinary sector will jump by 11 percent between 2006-2016, which amounts to over 300,000 mew jobs in the field. This includes jobs in the restaurant, hospitality, banquet, school, hospitals, and nursing home facilities. 

Those students who graduate from one of the many culinary schools have the opportunity to have better earning power. While it usually takes years of schooling, as well as many years of on the job experience to become one of the top chefs, the highest 10 percent of chefs earn more than $55,000. Recent graduates of culinary schools can expect to earn an average of $20,000 per year, dependant on the industry and region.