Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (2024)

Chef demographics research summary. Zippia estimates chef demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our chef estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about chefs after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 147,434 chefs currently employed in the United States.
  • 25.2% of all chefs are women, while 74.8% are men.
  • The average chef age is 42 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of chefs is White (55.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.1%), Asian (11.4%) and Black or African American (10.3%).
  • Chefs are most in-demand in New York, NY.
  • Urban Honolulu, HI pays an annual average wage of $71,516, the highest in the US.
  • In 2022, women chefs earned 91% of what men earned.
  • Nevada is the best state for chefs to live.
  • Chefs are 71% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.

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Chef demographics by:

Chef gender statistics

25.2% of chefs are women and 74.8% of chefs are men.

  • Male, 74.8%
  • Female, 25.2%

Chef gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male74.8%
Female25.2%

Chef gender pay gap

Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men

Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (1)Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (2)

Male Income

$48,066

Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (3)Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (4)

Female Income

$43,954

Chef gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in chef positions over time. Currently, 25.2% of chefs are female.

Male

Female

100

%

80

%

60

%

40

%

20

%

%

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Chef gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201077.85%22.15%
201178.44%21.56%
201278.58%21.42%
201378.75%21.25%
201476.68%23.32%
201578.56%21.44%
201676.91%23.09%
201777.35%22.65%
201876.09%23.91%
201977.34%22.66%
202075.39%24.61%
202174.81%25.19%

Chef related jobs gender ratio

We compared chefs with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corporate executive chef and chef de cuisine have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job TitleMaleFemale
Lunchroom Monitor5%95%
Waiter/Waitress, Captain13%87%
Lunchroom Supervisor13%87%
Chef75%25%
Executive Chef88%12%
Chef De Cuisine90%10%
Corporate Executive Chef91%9%

Chef demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among chefs is White, which makes up 55.0% of all chefs. Comparatively, 17.1% of chefs are Hispanic or Latino and 11.4% of chefs are Asian.

  • White, 55.0%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 17.1%
  • Asian, 11.4%
  • Black or African American, 10.3%
  • Unknown, 5.4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%

Chef Race

Chef RacePercentages
White55.0%
Hispanic or Latino17.1%
Asian11.4%
Black or African American10.3%
Unknown5.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%

Chef race and ethnicity over time

See how chef racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Black or African American

Chef race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201061.19%11.82%8.65%15.27%
201161.34%12.39%8.03%14.96%
201261.35%11.22%8.08%15.66%
201362.49%11.45%7.42%15.05%
201461.13%11.05%8.50%15.71%
201559.59%10.69%8.56%17.47%
201661.10%10.69%8.18%16.05%
201758.03%10.26%10.09%17.89%
201859.64%10.56%7.89%18.50%
201959.43%10.39%9.10%17.75%
202056.26%9.66%9.45%18.48%
202154.98%10.29%11.41%17.15%

Chef wage gap by race

White chefs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian chefs have the lowest average salary at $46,548.

$51,000

$50,000

$49,000

$48,000

$47,000

$46,000

Unknown

White

Black or African American

Asian

Hispanic or Latino

EthnicitySalary
Unknown$47,726
White$49,560
Black or African American$48,570
Asian$46,548
Hispanic or Latino$47,977

Average chef age

See how the average age of chefs varies based on ethnicity and gender.

Male

Female

Chef age by race and gender

RaceMale AgeFemale Age
Black or African American4346.5
Unknown3836.5
Asian4449
Hispanic or Latino4043
White4041
American Indian and Alaska Native40

Chef age breakdown

The average age of chefs is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the chef population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Chef age breakdown

Chef YearsPercentages
40+ years56%
30-40 years28%
20-30 years15%

Chef educational attainment

The most common degree for chefs is associate degree, with 38% of chefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 27% and bachelor's degree degree at 21%.

  • Associate, 38%
  • Bachelor's, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 21%
  • Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

Chefs by degree level

Chef DegreePercentages
Associate38%
Bachelor's27%
High School Diploma21%
Diploma8%
Other Degrees6%

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Chef wage gap by degree level

Chefs with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $51,438 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, chefs earn a median annual income of $50,718 compared to $46,423 for chefs with an High School Diploma degree.

$53,000

$51,000

$49,000

$47,000

$45,000

High School Diploma or Less

Bachelor's Degree

Some College/ Associate Degree

EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$46,423
Bachelor's Degree$50,718
Some College/ Associate Degree$51,438

Chef employment statistics

Most chefs work for a private in the hospitality industry.

Company size where chefs work

Below, you can see the size of companies where chefs work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Chef jobs by employer size

Company SizePercentages
< 50 employees7%
50 - 100 employees10%
100 - 500 employees17%
500 - 1,000 employees9%
1,000 - 10,000 employees27%
> 10,000 employees30%

Chef jobs by company type

Employees with the chef job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most chefs prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Chef jobs by sector

Company TypePercentages
Education5%
Public22%
Private71%
Government2%

Chef jobs by industry

The most common industries for chefs are hospitality, retail and manufacturing.

Hospitality

Retail

Manufacturing

Health Care

Fortune 500

Show More

Chef turnover and employment statistics

Chef unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for chefs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Unemployment rate

Chef unemployment rate by year

YearChef Unemployment Rate
20109.68%
201110.91%
20126.88%
20137.77%
20145.16%
20155.14%
20164.13%
20173.91%
20183.66%
20193.42%
202010.00%
202111.33%

Average chef tenure

The average chef stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 53,484 chefs resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Chef tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year28%
1-2 years36%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years13%
8-10 years4%
11+ years6%

Chef LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of chefs that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.

Job TitleLGBTJob Openings
Catering Assistant6.78%10,042
Head Waitress7.02%72,324
Gallery Host7.29%9,545
Counter Attendant7.36%53,208
Bartender/Certified Trainer7.68%80,818
Tea Room Manager8.43%62,358
Chef8.58%-

Similar chef jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job Openings
Catering Assistant6.78%10,042
Head Waitress7.02%72,324
Gallery Host7.29%9,545
Counter Attendant7.36%53,208
Bartender/Certified Trainer7.68%80,818
Tea Room Manager8.43%62,358

Foreign languages spoken by chefs

The most common foreign language among chefs is Spanish at 48.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.9% and Italian is the third-most popular at 10.4%.

  • Spanish, 48.5%
  • French, 14.9%
  • Italian, 10.4%
  • German, 3.9%
  • Japanese, 3.2%
  • Other, 19.1%

Chef languages spoken

Foreign LanguagePercentages
Spanish48.5%
French14.9%
Italian10.4%
German3.9%
Japanese3.2%
Other19.1%

Chef Jobs

Chef location demographics

The amount you can make as a chef can depend on where you live. For example, the highest salary of chefs is $54,691. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located.

Where do chefs earn the most?

Chefs earn the most in Hawaii, where the average chef salary is $71,544. The map here shows where chefs earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.

Average Salary

Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (5)

Which city has the most Chefs?

By looking through more than 53,484 resumes, we found that the most popular places for chefs are New York, NY and Chicago, IL.

Number of Chefs

Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (6)

Chef jobs by state

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,812$54,271
2Texas1,776$52,587
3Florida1,668$43,207
4Georgia891$48,701
5Illinois865$47,560
6Ohio842$36,109
7New York809$44,972
8North Carolina791$40,324
9Pennsylvania723$51,526
10Virginia608$39,851
11Tennessee595$35,248
12Indiana581$41,629
13Colorado549$45,910
14Michigan536$47,395
15Arizona497$47,580
16Massachusetts449$55,548
17New Jersey402$66,145
18South Carolina401$33,257
19Minnesota390$39,324
20Missouri388$45,055
21Washington338$57,071
22Maryland338$48,353
23Kentucky295$34,789
24Oklahoma288$45,499
25Louisiana287$38,504
26Utah277$40,357
27Wisconsin277$34,164
28Alabama276$46,431
29Nevada214$51,293
30Oregon206$46,135
31Mississippi198$37,252
32Connecticut183$48,020
33Arkansas179$40,241
34Iowa174$33,821
35New Mexico135$46,088
36Kansas126$40,345
37Nebraska118$34,540
38District of Columbia98$51,291
39West Virginia96$43,797
40New Hampshire96$45,875
41Idaho96$35,857
42Alaska85$50,304
43Montana77$44,671
44Rhode Island66$51,863
45Maine60$47,627
46Delaware55$50,789
47Wyoming41$27,439
48North Dakota39$46,969
49South Dakota36$34,538
50Hawaii34$71,544
51Vermont31$49,964

Where are chefs in high demand?

Chefs are in high demand in New York, NY. There are currently 36 job openings for chefs here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country chefs are in the most demand.

Jobs Openings

Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (7)

Chef Demographics FAQs

What percentage of Chefs are female?

26.9% of chefs are female in the United States. This is -1.4 percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female chefs has increased by 0.6 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 39,035 female chefs in the U.S. and 106,080 male chefs in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 145,115 people with the specific job title of chef and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

How many Chef are there in the US?

There are over 147,434 Chefs in the United States.

What percentage of Chefs are black?

10.3% of Chefs are Black or African American

What race are most Chefs?

Most a are White, with 55.0% of Chefs belonging to this ethnicity. 17.1% of Chefs are Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% of Chefs are Asian, 10.3% of Chefs are Black or African American, 5.4% of Chefs are Unknown, and 0.8% of Chefs are American Indian and Alaska Native

Are Chef jobs male - dominated?

Yes, Chef jobs are male - dominated. 74% of Chefs are male, and 25% are female, so there are more male Chefs than female Chefs in the United States.

How old is the average Chef?

The average Chef is 42 years old. 56% of Chefs are 40+ years old or older, 28% are between the ages of 30-40 years, and 15% are between 20-30 years old

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Chef Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chefs In The US (2024)
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