Culinary Schools in California

Cooking is serious business in California, a state that is home to dozens of past and present Food & Wine "Best New Chefs." Culinary schools in California might help you become one of California's top chefs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2009 there were approximately 10,000 chefs and head cooks, 95,000 restaurant cooks, 104,000 food preparation workers, and 86,000 food service managers/supervisors employed in the state of California. Mean 2009 annual salaries for cooking professionals in California included:

• Chefs/head cooks: $48,260
• Cafeteria/institution cooks: $29,130
• Restaurant cooks: $24,970
• Managers/supervisors of food preparation workers: $30,510

Additionally, many restaurants provide free meals and/or uniforms and equipment to cooks and chefs.

California Culinary Schools

Although many people love to cook, few could cook for hundreds and manage a kitchen staff on any given evening. California cooking schools could train you to cook professionally, keep you informed of the latest cooking techniques and trends, and introduce you to valuable contacts in the field. In addition to helping you fine-tune your cooking skills, culinary school cooking classes might include any of the following:

• Nutrition
• Sanitation/public health rules
• Food purchasing/inventory
• Portion control/food storage

Some culinary professionals pursue certification through the American Culinary Federation, which might help job and earning prospects. Getting certified requires a blend of experience and formal training.

Graduates of California Culinary Schools

Although job growth is expected to be minimal for chefs and head cooks, those with experience and formal training are expected to face the best job prospects. Creativity, professionalism, and personality also help. But most culinary school graduates must begin in lower-level cooking jobs and for good reason. Getting over your head with a head chef's position too soon could actually hurt your career: extensive experience and formal training is typically necessary to be a good head chef.

Whatever your personal cooking goals, culinary schools in California could help you begin your career more successfully.