Culinary Arts Salary

What comes to your mind when you think of food? For most people, it’d be the taste or flavor of a dish, surely not the aesthetics—unless you’re someone looking into culinary arts as a profession!

Culinary arts go simply beyond being a chef. It's an art where you prepare, cook, and present food to consumers. A professional in this field also focuses on the food's aesthetics and taste.

Culinary arts can be very rewarding as a career. It offers an array of job roles that you can pursue after your UG or PG degree. Here’s a quick tour of the culinary arts salary in India. In this blog, you will get an idea about the attractive job roles, rewarding salaries, and which skills you should have.

Culinary Arts Salary in India: Understand your Job Roles

Are you someone who loves working with food? Then, you can pair up passion with profession. Consider taking a job in the food industry that will reward you handsomely. Culinary arts job salary is highly attractive, and here are some career choices for you:

1) Executive Chef

• As an executive chef, you will oversee the operation of an entire kitchen.
• Your responsibility includes everything from managing kitchen staff and task delegation to creating menus and maintaining a high standard of food quality.
• You may also have to mentor fresh hires.
• The Culinary arts fresher salary as an executive chef begins at INR 11.5 LPA.

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2) Private Chef

• As a private chef, you will work closely with your clients to craft individual menus and recipes.
• You will create personal menus based on your client's diet, so you will need expertise in a range of cuisines.
• You may also have to cater to special events your employer hosts, such as cocktail parties or intimate dinners.
• As a private chef in India, your average pay can be INR 8 LPA.

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3) Sous Chef

• Another rewarding job opportunity in the culinary field is being a sous chef. In this role, you’d be second-in-command and an assistant to the executive chef.
• You would contribute to menu planning and manage the kitchen stock.
• A sous chef in India begins their career at about INR 7 LPA.

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4) Pastry Chef

• A pastry chef is a specialization in which you work with baked goods, pastries, and desserts.
• You create the menu from scratch, create new recipes, and experiment with flavors. As an expert in baking techniques, you create specialized desserts like pies, tarts, or cookies.
• The culinary arts salary in India for the pastry chef role begins at INR 6.9 LPA.

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5) Restaurant Manager

• The success of any restaurant depends on the capacity of the restaurant manager. In this role, you will oversee the daily aspects of a restaurant, be it kitchen operations or dining room management.
• You have to ensure top-quality customer service, and you will also be in charge of hiring and training recruits.
• Experienced culinary arts salary for a restaurant manager in India is about INR 4.9 LPA.

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If you’re not satisfied with the options given above, here are a few more that you can explore:

6) Caterer

• Catering includes planning and organizing food for events.
• From menu development to food preparations, everything would be your responsibility.
• You will also manage logistics, like food transportation or setting up the buffet.

7) Food Critic

• In this role, you will not cook but review the food quality of restaurants.
• You will also prepare reports on the eatery's service, ambiance, and dining experience.
• Knowing culinary arts and different flavors is an essential skill for being a food critic.

8) Chocolatier

• As a chocolatier, you will work with chocolates, and everything will be your responsibility, from production to recipe creation.
• You also have to source high-quality raw materials and create an attractive delicacy.

9) Health coach

• If you love food and wellness, pair up the two as a health coach. You will help your client maintain a healthy diet by ensuring fitness and physical activity.
• You will work with special diets by focusing on your client's dietary needs and preferences.

Freshers and Experienced: How will your salary vary?

Here’s how culinary arts fresher salary varies from experienced culinary arts salary:

Establishment Type

The type of establishment where you work greatly impacts your salary. A fine-dining restaurant or luxury hotel will pay more than a small eatery or a casual restaurant.

Position and responsibility

The culinary arts pay scale also varies with the kitchen hierarchy. You will earn more as an executive chef, sous chef, or a pastry chef than a line cook or a kitchen assistant. With more responsibilities, your pay scale would also increase.

Experience

Much like responsibilities, salary increases with experience. An entry-level position like an assistant cook draws a lesser salary than a head chef. However, with more expertise and experience, your earning potential also increases.

Education and training

As a culinary professional, you will earn higher salaries if you have an advanced degree or a specialization. You can look for specializations like international cuisine or pastry, which offer rewarding opportunities.

Skills you must have to wear the Chef Hat!

You must have these skills to bag the job with the highest pay scale:

• Management: Kitchen management is a primary skill you must have in the culinary field. You have to manage the inventory, track the equipment, and monitor expenses.
• Leadership: To be the best in the field, you must have strong leadership skills in addition to culinary expertise. You must assign tasks, communicate with the team, and make quick decisions to ensure food is delivered on time.
• Teamwork: You must be a team player because a commercial kitchen runs on collaborative teamwork. You should be aware of the individual skills to bring out the best in them.
• Creativity: The ability to be innovative with flavors or ingredients is vital in the food industry. You would often be required to create new dishes to meet a client’s requirements.

Conclusion

So, which of the above roles do you feel more attracted to? Once you’ve found your calling, take the next step: a foundational course in culinary arts.

A career in the food industry can be very attractive, with its variety of job opportunities. However, you must back it up with relevant certifications. One ideal course for you would be a Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts offered by ITM.

This course is packed with international internships and assured placements. With a huge Mumbai and Navi Mumbai campus, you will gain extensive theoretical knowledge and practical culinary skills in this course.

Learn culinary arts from the top leadership team!

Visit itm.edu to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What qualifications are required to enroll in a culinary arts course in India?

To enroll in a culinary arts UG degree, you must complete high school from a reputed board with at least 50% marks. Certain universities have specific entrance exams, which you must pass to enroll in this course.

2) Are there any internships in culinary arts programs in India?

Yes, internships are a vital part of culinary arts programs in India. This hands-on training is very important for understanding real-life kitchen operations.

3) How much does it cost to study culinary arts in India?

The fee for a culinary arts UG course can range from INR 10 to 14 lakhs. For a PG diploma program, it increases to INR 13 to 15 lakhs.

4) Will I have any international job opportunities with a culinary arts degree?

Yes, you will have multiple attractive job opportunities if you have a culinary arts degree. You will be able to work in international hotel chains, cruises, restaurants, and more. You will also have the opportunity to pursue international higher degrees.