National Culinary Review

The culinary industry is constantly changing, evolving and improving. Just hink how far we have come since 1976, when the position of executive chef went from “service” status to the professional category in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Dictionary of Official Titles. Surveys are an important component of bringing about change. They provide us with a snapshot of the state of our industry and often act as a catalyst for transformation.

volunteering or holding positions with organizations.

This report allows us to pause and evaluate the industry we are so proud of.

We will continue to move forward as an organization and an industry, improving in areas where we need to improve and celebrating our achievements.

by job title, ACF certification, years in the culinary industry, years with current organization, type of training and other categories. Corporate executives/managers earned the highest median base salaries at $97,000. Research chefs followed at $90,000, and administrators in education were third at $74,000. Executive chefs earned median base salaries of $66,000.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

Finally, one of the most anticipated aspects of the new study is the updated and enriched salary calculator. With this tool, you can enter personal information and see how much you should be earning in your area of the country. ACF members who responded to the survey will receive the full report and can access the salary calculator in the member login area of the ACF website. Other ACF members can access the executive summary and salary calculator in the member login area. The full report and salary calculator can be purchased for $25 by ACF members and $100 by nonmembers in the ACF e-store.

ACF conducted its second salary study in October 2011 (the first was in 2008). We thought it wise to learn more about our current members, from what segments they work in to their level of compensation. More than 2,700 ACF members/culinary professionals responded. The vast majority, 88%, were employed or self-employed full time. More than a third were executive chefs, and four out of five were male.

The first cause for celebration is the industry’s unemployment rate. Of those surveyed, only 3% were not employed but actively seeking employment. As of February, the national unemployment rate is 8.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, our industry’s lower unemployment rate is encouraging.

Here, I’ll share some of the
key findings from the report,
but I hope you will read it
for yourself. As professionals
in the industry, we maintain
demanding schedules,
working long hours and
often spending our free time
I have worked in the culinary
industry for 43 years, so the
next key finding did not come
as a surprise to me. The study
confirmed that chefs work
long workweeks, with 80%
of respondents working 41 or
more hours per week, and 34%
of executive chefs working
51-60 hours per week.

Another finding to celebrate is that holding ACF certification increases average compensation. Respondents with at least one ACF certification reported 7% higher average total compensation than those without an ACF certification. This validates the strong certification program we have worked tirelessly to develop through the years.

One of the most valuable
components of the study
is the in-depth look at
compensation. The report
analyzes compensation data
A final observation, which is
cause for concern, is that men
earned substantially higher
wages than women. The
median base salary for a male
corporate executive/manager
was $28,000 higher than that of
a woman in a similar position,
and male executive chefs
earned nearly $18,000 more
than women. These findings
alarmed us. In response, ACF
is working on ways to help
improve gender equality.
We will keep you posted.

Thank you to those who participated in the survey. I hope everyone will take the time to read the study and make any necessary improvements in your workplaces. Together, we will continue to enhance the profession that we are proud to claim as ours.

TOP RIGHT: Perry Miele, left, President, Nestlé Professional North America—Food, with Michael Ty at the 2012 Bocuse d’Or USA finals at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N. Y., Jan. 29.