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Culinary Arts

137 schools compared · Average earnings $23,994/yr

What Culinary Arts Graduates Do

Your career will likely begin in the controlled chaos of a professional kitchen. As a restaurant cook, you'll spend your days prepping ingredients with precision and working the line during a busy service, mastering the grill, sauté pans, and fryer. This path is seeing incredible growth, with huge demand for skilled cooks.

After mastering the line, you can advance to a first-line supervisor or food service manager. Your focus will shift from cooking to leading, as you manage inventory, create staff schedules, and ensure every plate meets the highest standards. This leadership track offers a significant pay increase, with experienced managers earning far more than entry-level cooks. It’s a career built on taste, touch, and timing—skills that can't be automated or done from a desk. With dedication, you can progress to become a head chef, a specialized baker, or even run your own establishment.

Schools Offering

137

Avg Grad Earnings

$23,994/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

55/100

AI-Proof Rating

AI-Proof

76% of tasks AI-shielded

Apprenticeship Paths

View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 17 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Culinary Arts. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Baker (Bake Produce) RAPIDS 28	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$31K – $36,650 – $43K	5.6%
Baker (Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 776	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$31K – $36,650 – $43K	5.6%
Bartender RAPIDS 608	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$26K – $33,530 – $47K	5.9%
Butcher, Allround RAPIDS 662	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $39,790 – $46K	2.2%
Butcher, Meat (Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 894	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$34K – $38,960 – $47K	1.0%
Chef De Parti (Existing Title: Cook Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 0663CB	Competency	Competency	$31K – $36,830 – $44K	14.9%
Chief, Cook (Water Transportation) RAPIDS 1053	4000 hrs ~2.0 yrs	Time	$48K – $60,990 – $77K	7.1%
Chief, Cook (Water Transportation) RAPIDS 1053CL	Competency	Competency	$48K – $60,990 – $77K	7.1%
Cook (Any Ind) (Alternate Title: Nutrition Care Specialist) RAPIDS 90	4000 hrs ~2.0 yrs	Time	$31K – $36,450 – $43K	2.0%
Cook (Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 663	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$31K – $36,830 – $44K	14.9%
Cook (Hotel & Restaurant) (Alternate Title: Sous Chef) RAPIDS 0663HY	4000-6000 hrs	Hybrid	$31K – $36,830 – $44K	14.9%
Cook (Hotel & Restaurant) (Alternate Title: Cullinarian) RAPIDS 0663CB	CB hrs	Competency	$31K – $36,830 – $44K	14.9%
Cook, Pastry (Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 722	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$31K – $36,650 – $43K	5.6%
Cook, Pastry (Hotel & Restaurant) RAPIDS 0722HY	4000-6000 hrs	Hybrid	$31K – $36,650 – $43K	5.6%
Manager, Food Service RAPIDS 593	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$53K – $65,310 – $82K	6.4%
Meat Cutter RAPIDS 316	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$34K – $38,960 – $47K	1.0%
Restaurant Manager (Existing Title: Manager, Food Service) RAPIDS 0593CB	Competency	Competency	$53K – $65,310 – $82K	6.4%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Best Schools for Culinary Arts

Top 20 of 137 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.

#	School	Score	EarningsEarn	ROI
1	Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE	83 81–83	$36,734/yr	102.8x
2	Johnson County Community College Overland Park, KS	82 80–83	$38,977/yr	85.1x
3	Dallas College Dallas, TX	80 78–81	$30,484/yr	127.6x
4	Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI	75 74–76	$33,382/yr	57.1x
5	Dallas College Dallas, TX	75 74–76	$31,770/yr	66.0x
6	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, NC	74 72–74	$32,602/yr	57.6x
7	NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR	74 72–74	$25,996/yr	86.2x
8	Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN	73 71–73	$32,478/yr	52.8x
9	Miami Dade College Miami, FL	72 71–73	$31,101/yr	53.8x
10	Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL	72 70–72	$29,451/yr	57.8x
11	Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI	72 71–73	$27,630/yr	67.1x
12	Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI	71 69–71	$34,736/yr	40.6x
13	Houston Community College Houston, TX	71 69–71	$26,419/yr	54.2x
14	Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH	70 69–70	$36,330/yr	34.5x
15	Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH	69 65–69	$28,037/yr	49.3x
16	Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay, OR	69 65–69	$27,727/yr	49.7x
17	Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC	69 67–69	$27,127/yr	53.7x
18	Kapiolani Community College Honolulu, HI	69 64–70	$26,882/yr	54.5x
19	University of Hawaii Maui College Kahului, HI	69 62–69	$24,669/yr	58.4x
20	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM	69 66–70	$23,139/yr	70.9x
21	Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT	68 67–68	$31,788/yr	36.3x
22	Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA	68 67–69	$28,885/yr	45.1x
23	Valencia College Orlando, FL	68 65–69	$25,227/yr	58.8x
24	Texarkana College Texarkana, TX	68 67–69	$19,284/yr	76.9x
25	Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ	67 66–67	$31,639/yr	31.5x
26	Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield, ME	67 66–67	$28,893/yr	39.6x
27	Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE	67 63–67	$26,446/yr	47.1x
28	Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO	67 63–67	$26,318/yr	47.1x
29	Hawaii Community College Hilo, HI	67 63–68	$25,027/yr	52.4x
30	Spokane Community College Spokane, WA	67 66–68	$23,529/yr	57.0x
31	NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR	66 65–66	$26,025/yr	42.6x
32	Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI	66 60–66	$24,473/yr	51.4x
33	Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA	65 63–65	$31,763/yr	24.3x
34	Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder, CO	65 62–66	$30,224/yr	—
35	Northern Wyoming Community College District Sheridan, WY	65 64–65	$29,544/yr	29.6x
36	YTI Career Institute-York York, PA	65 62–65	$29,494/yr	—
37	Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia, MI	65 62–66	$27,248/yr	39.2x
38	Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA	65 59–65	$26,913/yr	36.7x
39	Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC	65 58–65	$24,466/yr	46.8x
40	Arizona Culinary Institute Scottsdale, AZ	64 62–65	$29,223/yr	—
41	YTI Career Institute-York York, PA	64 61–64	$28,351/yr	—
42	Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL	64 63–64	$28,252/yr	30.2x
43	International Air and Hospitality Academy Vancouver, WA	64 61–64	$28,085/yr	—
44	Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, MI	64 59–64	$26,586/yr	35.1x
45	Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE	64 59–64	$26,031/yr	36.5x
46	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	63 62–63	$29,155/yr	24.6x
47	Manatee Technical College Bradenton, FL	63 60–63	$27,210/yr	—
48	College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL	63 62–63	$26,952/yr	30.2x
49	Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo, MI	63 62–63	$26,843/yr	32.2x
50	Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WV	63 58–64	$26,399/yr	32.8x
51	Hudson County Community College Jersey City, NJ	63 59–64	$26,170/yr	34.6x
52	Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO	63 61–64	$25,879/yr	36.0x
53	College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV	63 57–64	$22,428/yr	43.8x
54	Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Austin Austin, TX	62 59–63	$26,613/yr	—
55	University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College North Little Rock, AR	62 59–62	$25,597/yr	31.2x
56	Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI	62 58–62	$25,304/yr	31.3x
57	Texas State Technical College Waco, TX	62 57–62	$21,144/yr	40.6x
58	Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC	62 56–63	$14,813/yr	64.2x
59	Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay, OR	61 58–61	$27,855/yr	20.8x
60	Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC	61 58–61	$26,268/yr	27.0x
61	Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder Boulder, CO	61 59–62	$25,682/yr	—
62	Atlantic Technical College Coconut Creek, FL	61 59–62	$25,586/yr	—
63	Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Okmulgee, OK	61 57–62	$25,272/yr	30.1x
64	Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Austin Austin, TX	61 58–61	$24,873/yr	—
65	Utah Valley University Orem, UT	60 58–61	$27,056/yr	22.4x
66	Texas State Technical College Waco, TX	60 57–61	$26,927/yr	22.1x
67	Niagara County Community College Sanborn, NY	60 57–60	$26,514/yr	22.2x
68	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA	60 58–60	$25,938/yr	20.2x
69	Lincoln Technical Institute-New Britain New Britain, CT	60 58–61	$24,128/yr	—
70	Lincoln College of Technology-Columbia Columbia, MD	60 58–61	$24,128/yr	—
71	Lincoln Technical Institute-Shelton Shelton, CT	60 58–61	$24,128/yr	—
72	South Texas College McAllen, TX	60 57–61	$24,084/yr	29.4x
73	Institute of Culinary Education New York, NY	60 57–60	$22,759/yr	—
74	Institute of Culinary Education Pasadena, CA	60 57–60	$22,759/yr	—
75	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA	60 60–61	$21,368/yr	36.4x
76	Macomb Community College Warren, MI	60 57–60	$20,701/yr	35.5x
77	Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science Paul Smiths, NY	59 56–60	$32,023/yr	4.0x
78	Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA	59 57–59	$24,061/yr	22.9x
79	Emily Griffith Technical College Denver, CO	59 57–60	$22,599/yr	—
80	Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater Clearwater, FL	59 56–60	$21,965/yr	—
81	Miller-Motte College-Tulsa Tulsa, OK	59 56–59	$21,827/yr	—
82	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	59 56–59	$21,827/yr	—
83	The Culinary School of Fort Worth Fort Worth, TX	59 56–59	$21,608/yr	—
84	Institute of Technology Clovis, CA	59 56–59	$21,509/yr	—
85	Eastwick College-Hackensack Hackensack, NJ	58 55–58	$29,123/yr	7.6x
86	Johnson & Wales University-Online Providence, RI	58 54–59	$27,514/yr	12.8x
87	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred, NY	58 55–58	$26,598/yr	14.0x
88	Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA	58 53–59	$21,391/yr	33.0x
89	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	58 56–59	$21,014/yr	—
90	Florida Education Institute Miami, FL	58 55–59	$20,531/yr	—
91	Francis Tuttle Technology Center Oklahoma City, OK	58 55–59	$20,284/yr	—
92	Pittsburgh Technical College Oakdale, PA	57 55–58	$29,023/yr	6.5x
93	Culinary Institute Inc Houston, TX	57 54–57	$28,089/yr	6.1x
94	Baker College Owosso, MI	57 52–57	$25,204/yr	13.6x
95	National Louis University Chicago, IL	57 52–57	$24,786/yr	16.2x
96	Culinary Tech Center White Plains, NY	57 54–58	$18,300/yr	—
97	Ocean County Vocational-Technical School Toms River, NJ	57 54–57	$16,566/yr	—
98	Lake Land College Mattoon, IL	57 56–57	$14,366/yr	32.6x
99	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL	56 54–57	$28,159/yr	5.8x
100	Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY	56 53–57	$28,049/yr	4.4x
101	Johnson & Wales University-Providence Providence, RI	56 53–56	$27,514/yr	3.6x
102	Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte Charlotte, NC	56 53–56	$27,514/yr	3.6x
103	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	56 54–56	$26,692/yr	8.8x
104	Remington College-Memphis Campus Memphis, TN	56 54–56	$25,389/yr	11.7x
105	North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA	56 55–56	$17,383/yr	26.5x
106	Michigan Career and Technical Institute Plainwell, MI	56 51–56	$15,195/yr	29.6x
107	William T McFatter Technical College Davie, FL	56 53–57	$15,021/yr	—
108	Crescent City Bartending School New Orleans, LA	56 53–56	$13,763/yr	—
109	Academia Serrant Inc Ponce, PR	56 53–56	$13,563/yr	—
110	Walnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA	55 52–55	$25,893/yr	7.1x
111	Remington College-Dallas Campus Dallas, TX	55 53–56	$25,389/yr	9.7x
112	Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA	55 51–55	$25,269/yr	7.9x
113	Sullivan University Louisville, KY	55 51–55	$24,292/yr	10.7x
114	Culinary Institute Inc Houston, TX	55 50–55	$21,239/yr	15.7x
115	City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Chicago, IL	55 54–56	$19,447/yr	21.2x
116	Erie Community College Buffalo, NY	55 53–55	$15,337/yr	24.1x
117	Guam Community College Mangilao, GU	55 50–56	$12,500/yr	34.8x
118	Universal Technology College of Puerto Rico Aguadilla, PR	55 52–56	$6,330/yr	—
119	Helms College Augusta, GA	54 51–55	$25,261/yr	6.0x
120	Pittsburgh Technical College Oakdale, PA	54 52–55	$23,217/yr	11.2x
121	NUC University Bayamon, PR	54 49–54	$12,403/yr	22.7x
122	ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA	53 50–54	$23,320/yr	8.2x
123	Helms College Augusta, GA	53 49–53	$19,403/yr	12.9x
124	ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA	52 49–52	$19,639/yr	9.6x
125	Dorsey College Madison Heights, MI	51 49–52	$21,367/yr	4.3x
126	Erie Community College Buffalo, NY	51 49–52	$15,793/yr	11.9x
127	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina, PR	51 47–52	$13,207/yr	16.7x
128	ICPR Junior College-Arecibo Arecibo, PR	51 49–52	$12,730/yr	11.6x
129	ICPR Junior College-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR	51 49–52	$12,730/yr	11.6x
130	ICPR Junior College Hato Rey, PR	51 49–52	$12,730/yr	11.6x
131	ICPR Junior College Manati, PR	51 49–52	$12,730/yr	11.6x
132	Jna Institute of Culinary Arts Philadelphia, PA	50 48–51	$18,774/yr	5.4x
133	Monroe College Bronx, NY	50 47–51	$18,256/yr	7.1x
134	NUC University Bayamon, PR	50 47–50	$14,950/yr	8.3x
135	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Ponce, PR	50 48–50	$8,252/yr	12.0x
136	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR	50 48–51	$8,252/yr	12.2x
137	Escuela Hotelera de San Juan Hato Rey, PR	49 45–50	$10,107/yr	13.0x

Highest Earning Culinary Arts Programs

Schools where Culinary Arts graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
Johnson County Community College	$38,977/yr	82
Southeast Community College Area	$36,734/yr	83
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College	$36,330/yr	70
Fox Valley Technical College	$34,736/yr	71
Washtenaw Community College	$33,382/yr	75
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	$32,602/yr	74
Saint Paul College	$32,478/yr	73
Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science	$32,023/yr	59
Salt Lake Community College	$31,788/yr	68
Dallas College	$31,770/yr	75

Best ROI for Culinary Arts

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Culinary Arts.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Dallas College	127.6x	$30,484/yr	80
Southeast Community College Area	102.8x	$36,734/yr	83
NorthWest Arkansas Community College	86.2x	$25,996/yr	74
Johnson County Community College	85.1x	$38,977/yr	82
Texarkana College	76.9x	$19,284/yr	68
Central New Mexico Community College	70.9x	$23,139/yr	69
Grand Rapids Community College	67.1x	$27,630/yr	72
Dallas College	66.0x	$31,770/yr	75
Guilford Technical Community College	64.2x	$14,813/yr	62
Valencia College	58.8x	$25,227/yr	68

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Culinary Arts degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical salary after a Culinary Arts program?

First-year earnings for Culinary Arts graduates average $23,994 annually, based on data from 137 programs. The range spans $6,330 at the low end to $38,977 at the top.

How AI-proof is a career in Culinary Arts?

Culinary Arts is rated "AI-Proof" for AI resilience — 76% of job tasks involve hands-on work shielded from AI automation. That means the vast majority of career tasks in this field rely on skills AI cannot replicate.

What's the top-ranked school for Culinary Arts?

Based on the TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Southeast Community College Area ranks #1 for Culinary Arts with a score of 83/100 and graduate earnings of $36,734/yr.

What's the ROI on a Culinary Arts program?

Typical graduates earn 31.9 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.

Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, DOL RAPIDS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →