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Culinary Arts

A program that focuses on the general study of the cooking and related culinary arts, and that may prepare individuals for a variety of jobs within the food service industry. Includes instruction in food preparation, cooking techniques, equipment operation and maintenance, sanitation and safety, communication skills, applicable regulations, and principles of food service management. Examples: [Cook]

Types of Degrees Culinary Arts Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Culinary Arts have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	7,618
Associate’s Degree	8,114
Bachelor’s Degree	451
Master’s Degree	8,060

What Culinary Arts Majors Need to Know

Studies in Culinary Arts emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Culinary Arts graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Culinary Arts emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Culinary Arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Culinary Arts careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Culinary Arts graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.6 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.5 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.5 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Culinary Arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Delphi Technology	Financial analysis software	—
Menu planning software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Inventory management software	Inventory management software	—
SoftCafe MenuPro	Desktop publishing software	—
GNOME Gnutrition	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Culinary Arts graduates include:

• Cook
• Culinary Specialist
• Private Chef
• Culinary Chef
• Cooking Chef
• Culinary Artist
• Personal Chef
• Cook Manager
• Kitchen Manager
• Food and Beverage Director
• Kitchen Supervisor
• Sous Chef
• Menu Planner
• Chef Manager
• Dinner Cook

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Culinary Arts graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	36.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	20.6%
Postsecondary certificate	16.5%
Less than a high school diploma	16.0%
Some college courses	5.7%
Bachelor’s degree	4.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Culinary Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.8% of Culinary Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	15,137	363.4%
Men	9,350	224.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Culinary Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,057	25.4%
Asian	261	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,759	42.2%
Black or African American	660	15.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	59	1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	25	0.6%
Two or More Races	202	4.8%
Race Unknown	105	2.5%
International Students	37	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Culinary Arts Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Culinary Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$24,617
4 years	$29,033
5 years	$32,264

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,264 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Culinary Arts Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Culinary Arts. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	20
Bachelor’s	1	2
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Culinary Arts Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Culinary Arts graduates earn a median of $29,033 four years after completion — about 24% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Personal and Culinary Services	164,764
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services	136,936
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science	2,676
Casino Operations and Services	564
Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other	101
CULINARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SERVICES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.