Quick answer: Culinary professionals in California earn a median of $64,500 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited culinary professional schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.
Programs sits within the California culinary professional workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $64,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.
How We Rank Schools
Local school lists are ordered by location first, using the distance from the city or state page you are viewing.
Each eligible school also shows a BOC Score, computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Primary local sort
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Annual Wage by Percentile - Chefs and Head CooksSource: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Chefs and Head Cooks annual wage percentiles
Percentile
Annual wage
10th
$37,900
25th
$48,440
50th (median)
$62,470
75th
$78,750
90th
$98,560
Projected employment growth, Chefs and Head Cooks, 2024-2034Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Chefs and Head Cooks employment projection 2024 to 2034
Year
Employment
2024
197,300
2034 projected
211,300
Percent change
+7.1%
Popular Online Programs in California
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does culinary professional training take in California?
Culinary professional certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.
How much do culinary professionals earn in California?
According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), culinary professionals in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $64,500. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $37,380 to $101,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many culinary professional schools are in California?
The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
Data
Provider
Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
