Career Guide for Chefs & Head Cooks in Las Vegas, NV

If you think New York has the nation's highest concentration of chefs, think again! At 2,830 chefs, which accounts for 0.221% of the state's employed population, Nevada currently holds the crown for the highest concentration of professionals in this field. In addition, at 2,360 workers, the Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada metropolitan area has the highest concentration of chefs among all metropolitan areas across the U.S.

The number of Las Vegas chefs & head cooks may be plentiful, but these professionals still have their work cut out for them. In 2008 alone, even with pleasure travel down and spending at an all-time low, Las Vegas still managed to attract nearly 40 million visitors. These visitors spent a whopping $42.8 billion in the city's hotels, casinos, restaurants, and shops. This may mean lots of hard work for Nevada's top chefs & head cooks, but it also means growth, stability, and plenty of job openings in the field. Overall, job growth in this field is expected to average 7%-10% over the next several years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) and career websites such as Onet.com and CollegeDegreeReport.com.

In addition to stability and job growth, chefs & head cooks do quite well financially. Overall, chefs & head cooks earn an average salary of $37,160 per year, but top chefs can earn as much as $60,000 per year. Las Vegas chefs & head cooks earn an annual mean wage of $45,060 per year, which is the highest salary among states with the highest concentration of workers in this field. Chefs & head cooks have a number of industries to choose from as well. If one area slows down, they can always find a job at a hospital, on a cruise ship, in entertainment (movie sets) or as a personal chef until their chosen industry bounces back.

So, if you think becoming a chef or head cook sounds appealing to you based on salary, job growth, and stability, read on to learn more about what's expected of Las Vegas' top chefs and what you have to do to join the ranks.

So, what do chefs do all day? For chefs & head cooks, no two days are the same, especially in sin city. On any given day, chefs & head cooks will prepare meals, create menus, prepare ingredients lists, and manage staff. Chefs & head cooks may also meet with owners to set prices and resolve accounting and budgeting issues.

To become a chef or head cook, most professionals began the journey as early as high school. In high school, home economics classes are a great start. After high school, aspiring chefs & head cooks typically enroll in a culinary arts or hospitality program at any number of traditional colleges or universities, art schools, independent cooking schools, trade schools, or culinary arts institutes. There are more than 200 American Culinary Federation (ACF) accredited training programs located throughout the U.S.

Traditional colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in hospitality or the culinary arts. However, most aspiring chefs prefer to attend culinary arts institutes and independent cooking schools. There are more than 200 accredited formal training programs across the U.S. These programs receive accreditation from The American Culinary Foundation (ACF).

In addition to completing a culinary arts or hospitality program, an apprenticeship or internship would be very helpful as well as obtaining certification. Certification will also increase your chances of advancement later in your career. The American Culinary Federation offers certification for everything from pastry and personal chef to consultant.

For more information about Las Vegas, NV chefs & head cooks careers, please visit the following websites:

College Degree Report - Chefs & Head Cooks - Career, Salary & Employment Info

The American Culinary Federation - http://www.acfchefs.org

The International Association of Culinary Professionals - http://www.iacp.com/

College Degree Report - Chef & Head Cook Careers: Employment & Salary Trends for Aspiring Chefs & Head Cooks

The U.S Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos161.htm