Personal Chefs
Overview
Introduction
Personal chefs prepare menus for individuals and their families, purchase the ingredients for the meals, then cook, package, and store the meals in the clients' own kitchens. Approximately 10,000 personal chefs work in the United States, according to the American Personal & Private Chef Association. They cook for busy families, seniors, people with disabilities, and others who do not have the time or the ability to prepare meals for themselves.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the May 2018 median annual salary for cooks in private households was $37,590, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $25,610 and the top 10 percent earning more than $62,600 annually. PayScale.com reports that median earnings for personal chefs were $42,973 in March 2020. Earnings ranged from less than $30,642 to $95,017 or more.
Personal...
Work Environment
Many personal chefs enter the business after burning out on the demands of restaurant work. As a result, many personal chefs enjoy making their own schedule, avoiding the late nights, long hours, and weekends of restaurant service.
Though personal chefs don't work in their own homes, they don't travel that much. They will have to visit a grocery store every morning for fresh meats and pr...
Outlook
Although the personal chef industry initially experienced strong growth (the national publications Entrepreneur, Time, US News & World Report, and others once listed personal chef services as one of the hottest new businesses), the profession has since experienced a slowdown. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of private household cooks and chef...
