chef
Key facts
Are you passionate about creating delicious food and delighting people with unique culinary experiences? As a chef, you’ll transform fresh ingredients into memorable dishes, blending creativity with technical skill to craft exceptional meals.
Chefs are culinary professionals known for their creativity and ability to deliver a distinctive gastronomic experience. Your days will involve planning menus, preparing ingredients, cooking a variety of dishes, and ensuring the highest standards of food quality and hygiene. You'll manage kitchen staff, control food costs, and adapt recipes to meet dietary requirements or customer preferences. The role demands precision, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- • Plan and develop menus, considering seasonality, cost, and customer preferences.
- • Prepare and cook a wide range of dishes, ensuring consistent quality and presentation.
- • Manage and supervise kitchen staff, delegating tasks and providing training.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Legal, social, cultural and related associate professionals — 108 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 12 more.
Longest-running shortage: France, 3 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
Explore More
Find your career path and explore the science behind our recommendations.
Could chef fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
Do you enjoy tasks that require Attention to Detail?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Self-Control?
Future Outlook for chef
The outlook for chef is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 76%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could chef change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could chef change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- comply with food safety and hygiene
- use food preparation techniques
- use reheating techniques
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- design indicators for food waste reduction
- control of expenses
- store raw food materials
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Hospitality, Events, & Tourism
A typical day as a chef
09 09:00 · Morning plan menus
10 10:30 · Mid-morning instruct kitchen personnel
12 12:00 · Midday handover the food preparation area
14 14:00 · Afternoon maintain kitchen equipment at correct temperature
15 15:30 · Late afternoon think creatively about food and beverages
17 17:00 · Wrap-up use cooking techniques
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
-
food waste monitoring systems
The characteristics, benefits and ways of using digital tools to collect, monitor and evaluate data on food waste in an organisation or hospitality establishment.
-
types of whisks
Types of whisks such as balloon whisks, french whisks, flat whisks, spiral whisks and more their function.
-
molecular gastronomy
The analysis of scientific research applied to food preparation, which focuses among others on how the interaction between ingredients can modify the structure and appearance of food, for example by creating unexpected tastes and textures and by developing new types of dining experiences.
-
use food preparation techniques
Apply food preparation techniques including the selecting, washing, cooling, peeling, marinating, preparing of dressings and cutting of ingredients.
-
use reheating techniques
Apply reheating techniques including steaming, boiling or bain marie.
-
use culinary finishing techniques
Apply culinary finishing techniques including garnishing, decorating, plating, glazing, presenting and portioning.
-
use cooking techniques
Apply cooking techniques including grilling, frying, boiling, braising, poaching, baking or roasting.
-
store raw food materials
Keep in reserve raw materials and other food supplies, following stock control procedures.
-
maintain kitchen equipment at correct temperature
Keep the refrigeration and storage of kitchen equipment at the correct temperature.
-
think creatively about food and beverages
Generate innovative and creative ideas to come up with new recipes, preparations of food and beverages and new ways to present the products.
-
plan menus
Organise menus taking into account the nature and style of the establishment, client feedback, cost and the seasonality of ingredients.
-
comply with food safety and hygiene
Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
-
manage staff
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
-
design indicators for food waste reduction
Determine key performance indicators (KPI) for reducing food waste and managing in line with established standards. Oversee the evaluation of methods, equipment and costs for food waste prevention.
-
instruct kitchen personnel
Give instructions to the kitchen staff by guiding and teaching them and by providing them support before, during and after the service.
-
maintain customer service
Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
See whether this role fits your Career DNA
Take the free Career DNA assessment to see how chef aligns with your interests, work style, and future path. In less than 10 minutes, you will get a personalized fit signal and a roadmap for what to do next.
Scan to continue on mobileGrowth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does chef fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of work environment can I expect as a chef?
- Chefs typically work in busy, often high-pressure environments like restaurants, hotels, catering companies, or cruise ships. Expect long hours, including evenings and weekends, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- Is it common to be self-employed as a chef?
- While most chefs are employed by establishments, self-employment is also a common path. Many chefs start their own catering businesses, food trucks, or personal chef services, offering greater autonomy and control over their culinary creations.
- What skills are particularly important for a successful chef?
- Beyond culinary expertise, strong organizational skills, leadership abilities, and the capacity to work under pressure are crucial. Creativity, attention to detail, and a commitment to food safety are also essential for success.
- Chef — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 16 of the 17 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and 12 more. France has reported one for 3 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Chef — what does it pay in the United States?
- $60,990 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $30,800 to $79,930. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.