Ranked list · 37 careers

37 Culinary Jobs, Ranked by Fit and Pay (2026)

Flavorist tops this list at $88,720 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +6.2% projected employment change over 2025–2035. Below are 37 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.

Careers on this list: 37From 1,731 in the bank
Median pay on the list: $51,610BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected to grow: 32 of 37BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year: 2,036,200Combined, BLS EP

Method

How we built this list

Careers in food and drink: chefs and cooks, pastry and specialty food makers, food scientists, sommeliers and the people who run kitchens. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages.
Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.

The list

The top 37 culinary jobs

100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.

1
1. Flavorist
Specialty within food scientist and technologist
Median pay
$88,720median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
Bachelor's
Creates the flavors used in foods, drinks and other products by combining aroma chemicals and natural extracts.
2
2. Food Scientist and Technologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Median pay
$88,720median a year
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
Bachelor's
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein;…
3
3. Research Chef
Specialty within food scientist and technologist
Median pay
$88,720median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
Bachelor's
Develops new food products and menu items for food manufacturers and restaurant chains by combining chef skills with food science.
4
4. Sensory Scientist
Specialty within food scientist and technologist
Median pay
$88,720median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
Bachelor's
Designs taste, smell and texture tests with trained panels and consumers to guide how foods, drinks and personal care products are made.
5
5. Beverage Director
Specialty within food service manager
Median pay
$69,390median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
38,800
Education
High school
Runs the whole drinks program for a restaurant group or hotel: wine, spirits, cocktails, beer, and zero-proof, plus the buying, pricing, and staff training behind it.
6
6. Food Service Manager
Management
Median pay
$69,390median a year
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
38,800
Education
High school
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
7
7. Restaurant Director of Operations
Specialty within food service manager
Median pay
$69,390median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
38,800
Education
High school
Oversees several restaurants in a group or chain, leading general managers on food quality, service, staffing and profit.
8
8. Sommelier
Specialty within food service manager
Median pay
$69,390median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
38,800
Education
High school
Builds and sells a restaurant's wine list, guides guests to bottles that suit their food and budget, and runs the cellar behind the scenes.
9
9. Chef
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$62,470median a year
Growth
+6.6%
Openings / yr
25,200
Education
High school
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods.
10
10. Corporate Executive Chef
Specialty within chef
Median pay
$62,470median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.6%
Openings / yr
25,200
Education
High school
Leads the food for an entire restaurant group, hotel company, or foodservice brand, setting menus and standards across many kitchens.
11
11. Food Science Technician
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Median pay
$52,130median a year
Growth
+4.8%
Openings / yr
3,000
Education
Associate's
Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products.
12
12. Winemaker
Specialty within food science technician
Median pay
$52,130median (parent occupation)
Growth
+4.8%
Openings / yr
3,000
Education
Bachelor's
Turns harvested grapes into finished wine, directing fermentation, aging, blending and bottling at a winery.
13
13. Brewmaster
Specialty within separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setter, operator, and tender
Median pay
$51,610median (parent occupation)
Growth
−5.7%
Openings / yr
5,200
Education
High school
Leads beer production at a brewery, developing recipes and running brewing, fermentation and quality control.
14
14. Distiller
Specialty within separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setter, operator, and tender
Median pay
$51,610median (parent occupation)
Growth
−5.7%
Openings / yr
5,200
Education
High school
Produces whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits by fermenting, distilling and aging, often at a craft or heritage distillery.
15
15. Cook, Private Household
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$47,940median a year
Growth
+5.1%
Openings / yr
5,000
Education
Certificate
Prepare meals in private homes.
16
16. Food Stylist
Specialty within cook, private household
Median pay
$47,940median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.1%
Openings / yr
5,000
Education
Certificate
Prepares and arranges food so it looks its best on camera for advertising, packaging, cookbooks, magazines, film, and social media.
17
17. Yacht Chef
Specialty within cook, private household
Median pay
$47,940median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.1%
Openings / yr
5,000
Education
Certificate
Cooks every meal for the guests and crew of a private or charter yacht, often planning restaurant-level menus from a small galley at sea.
18
18. First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$44,080median a year
Growth
+5.4%
Openings / yr
171,500
Education
High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.
19
19. Cheesemaker
Specialty within food batchmaker
Median pay
$42,290median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.5%
Openings / yr
23,100
Education
High school
Turns milk into cheese by controlling cultures, curd, pressing and aging, at dairy plants, creameries and farmstead operations.
20
20. Food Batchmaker
Production
Median pay
$42,290median a year
Growth
+6.5%
Openings / yr
23,100
Education
High school
Set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products.
21
21. Butcher and Meat Cutter
Production
Median pay
$40,140median a year
Growth
+2.4%
Openings / yr
15,100
Education
No formal credential
Cut, trim, or prepare consumer-sized portions of meat for use or sale in retail establishments.
22
22. Cook, Institution and Cafeteria
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$37,450median a year
Growth
+2.8%
Openings / yr
62,900
Education
No formal credential
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
23
23. Cook, Restaurant
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$37,390median a year
Growth
+12.1%
Openings / yr
218,600
Education
No formal credential
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants.
24
24. Baker
Production
Median pay
$37,160median a year
Growth
+5.5%
Openings / yr
36,500
Education
No formal credential
Mix and bake ingredients to produce breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, or other baked goods.
25
25. Chocolatier
Specialty within baker
Median pay
$37,160median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.5%
Openings / yr
36,500
Education
No formal credential
Makes chocolates, bonbons, truffles, and confections by hand, tempering chocolate and creating fillings, molds, and decorations.
26
26. Pastry Chef
Specialty within baker
Median pay
$37,160median (parent occupation)
Growth
+5.5%
Openings / yr
36,500
Education
No formal credential
Creates the desserts, breads, and baked goods for a restaurant, hotel, or bakery, from plated desserts to laminated dough and wedding cakes.
27
27. Cook, Short Order
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$35,880median a year
Growth
−5.2%
Openings / yr
17,400
Education
No formal credential
Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time.
28
28. Cheesemonger
Specialty within retail salesperson
Median pay
$35,410median (parent occupation)
Growth
−0.3%
Openings / yr
520,600
Education
No formal credential
Selects, cares for, cuts, and sells specialty cheese, guiding customers through tastings and pairings at a cheese shop or specialty grocer.
29
29. Food Preparation Worker
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$35,320median a year
Growth
−3.0%
Openings / yr
135,700
Education
No formal credential
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
30
30. Cook, Fast Food
Food Preparation and Serving Related
Median pay
$30,890median a year
Growth
+0.6%
Openings / yr
86,400
Education
No formal credential
Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu.
31
31. Private Club General Manager
Specialty within general and operations manager
Median pay
$257,500typical, CMAA Compensation and Benefits Report 2024 (as summarized by club industry recruiters)
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
285,000
Education
Bachelor's
Runs a member-owned country, golf, city, or yacht club, overseeing food and beverage, golf and recreation, facilities, staff, and finances for the board.
32
32. Cultivated Meat Scientist
Specialty within food scientist and technologist
Median pay
$88,720median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
Master's
Develops meat grown from animal cells rather than raised animals, working on cell lines, growth media, bioreactors and the texture and taste of the final product.
33
33. Fermentation Scientist
Specialty within microbiologist
Median pay
$87,990median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.2%
Openings / yr
1,500
Education
Bachelor's
Develops and scales microbial fermentation processes that produce foods, enzymes, medicines and alternative proteins.
34
34. Viticulturist
Specialty within soil and plant scientist
Median pay
$78,850median (parent occupation)
Growth
+6.7%
Openings / yr
1,400
Education
Bachelor's
Manages the science and care of wine grape vineyards, from planting and pruning to irrigation, disease control and harvest timing.
35
35. Sports Dietitian
Specialty within dietitian
Median pay
$76,400median (parent occupation)
Growth
+7.7%
Openings / yr
5,700
Education
Master's
A registered dietitian who plans nutrition, hydration, and recovery strategies for athletes and active people to support training and performance.
36
36. Franchise Development Manager
Specialty within sales representative of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Median pay
$69,990median (parent occupation)
Growth
+2.7%
Openings / yr
115,700
Education
High school
Recruits and qualifies new franchise owners for a restaurant, fitness, service or retail brand and guides them from first inquiry to signed agreement.
37
37. Ice Sculptor
Specialty within craft artist
Median pay
$46,080median (parent occupation)
Growth
+2.0%
Openings / yr
1,000
Education
No formal credential
Carves blocks of ice into sculptures for weddings, hotels, corporate events, festivals and competitions using chainsaws, chisels and die grinders.

Questions

Culinary Jobs: FAQ

What is the top career on the culinary jobs list?

Flavorist leads the list with a median wage of $88,720 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +6.2% over 2025–2035. Typical entry-level education is bachelor's.

How was this list put together?

Careers in food and drink: chefs and cooks, pastry and specialty food makers, food scientists, sommeliers and the people who run kitchens. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Careers in food and drink: chefs and cooks, pastry and specialty food makers, food scientists, sommeliers and the people who run kitchens. Careers centred on this field come first, then the ones that touch it, each group ranked by national median pay from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Specialty careers, which BLS reports inside a broader occupation, show that occupation’s figures and are labelled on their pages. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.

How much do culinary jobs pay?

Across the 37 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $51,610 a year, from $30,890 at the bottom to $257,500 at the top (BLS OEWS May 2025 and the industry compensation sources cited on each career page). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.

How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?

26 of the 37 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).